


Shield And Pistol

by LemonPop



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Angst, Bad Flirting, Blow Jobs, Comedy, Fairy Tale Style, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Haunted Houses, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Horror, I'm Sorry, M/M, Omega Verse, Pack Dynamics, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Poetry, Post Mpreg, Promptioweek2017, Referenced Mpreg, Sad Ending, Shakespearean Sonnets, Songfic, Tentacle Sex, Tentacles, bottom!gladio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-19 08:42:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11309826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LemonPop/pseuds/LemonPop
Summary: This is a series of stories for Promptio Week 2017, ranging in length from drabbles to one shots. Each chapter is a different prompt, and as I add more, I will be including the tags for the new stories. Hope you enjoy this celebration of Prompto and Gladio!





	1. Back Row

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the first prompt for Promptio Week 2017! It's "In The Dark". I originally wrote something completely different, but scrapped it when I came up with this idea instead. Hope you like it!
> 
> You can find me online at [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com)!

Friday night meant date night for most of Insomnia. Prompto and Gladiolus were no exception. The two had been going out for a month now, after two years of awkward flirting and furtive glances. Now they were still awkward, but at least they were awkward together. Prompto waited on the corner sidewalk by his apartment building, dressed as casually (but eye-catchingly! That was important, too.) as possible. He wanted to look good for Gladio without actually looking like he had tried too hard. He kept his arms crossed and attempted to not check his phone every thirty seconds. Gladio was always timely, and Prompto wanted to look like he hadn't gotten ready hours before and been waiting silently in his apartment agonizing about whether or not to change into something different. He had even tried putting on a little makeup – just something to make his eyes pop – but washed it away after becoming embarrassed at the thought.

Right on time, a familiar car rounded the corner, and Gladio waved at Prompto from the driver's seat. Prompto's heart immediately began pounding. Gladio always looked great, no matter if he wore his official work clothes or dressed casually for a night at the movies like tonight. Prompto even loved the scar running lengthwise over his eye; as worried as Prompto had been when it had happened, he had to admit the look suited Gladio, as did the longer hair and the beard he had grown. Prompto remembered the first time he had felt that beard scrape against the delicate skin of his thighs – just last week, actually – when Gladio went down on him and he thought his whole world was going to explode from the pleasure.

'Shit, Prompto, relax,' he told himself as he hopped into the car beside Gladio, 'Don't go popping boners before the date even starts. So uncool.' Gladio leaned over to close the gap between them and stole a kiss. Prompto felt blood rush simultaneously to his face and dick. Astrals, did Gladio know what he did to Prompto? It seemed unfair that the blond would be so easily affected by Gladio's presence.

Gladio did know, and he loved it. One of his favorite aspects of his boyfriend was how expressive and enthusiastic he could be at any time. All it took was a look or a gentle brush of fingertips, and the blond would be putty in his hands. Of course, Gladio would never admit how much Prompto affected him as well. The noises he had made in bed last week... Gladio had almost lost all self control and fucked the man then and there. He was determined to wait until they both were ready, though, and wouldn't move on until Prompto gave his consent. But lately the attraction between them had felt stronger, and Gladio thought that perhaps tonight, maybe if everything went well at the theater, then he would be staying over at Prompto's for the first time. The thought sent a thrill through his body and straight to his dick, which he had to will back into submission.

They finished the kiss, faces lingering centimeters from each other, and Gladio smiled, “Ready, Chocobo?” Prompto's heart fluttered at the pet name and the smell of Gladio's cologne, so close to his face. He nodded emphatically and leaned back into his seat. They were off, going to see some movie about an action star saving his beloved from the bad guys – generic, fun, and, most of all, easy to ignore in favor of swapping kisses in the dark of the theater.

They arrived early enough to snag seats at the back, out of the way of prying eyes, and munched popcorn while commercials played on the big screen. Prompto leaned his head on Gladio's shoulder, and the man took that as invitation to wrap an arm around the blonde. Both hearts were beating fast, and as the lights went down, they settled against one another, each trying not to think of how tight and uncomfortable their pants had grown. Gods, but Gladio smelled good, Prompto thought as he took another mouthful of popcorn. Whatever cologne he used had to be considered an aphrodisiac, he was sure. Meanwhile, Gladio could feel the warmth radiating out of his partner, and he wanted nothing more than to pull the man into his lap and grind their hips together. He gave Prompto a little squeeze and trailed a touch over his side. Prompto sighed quietly and nuzzled into Gladio's neck in return.

The only light in the room came from the projector onto the screen, and in their little corner, Gladio and Prompto could hardly be seen at all. To their credit, they managed to watch half the movie. But when the popcorn ran out and Prompto's breath on his skin became too much to handle, Gladio made a subtle move to reach around and touch Prompto's stomach. He felt the man tense and was about to pull away, but Prompto pressed his face into Gladio's neck and whispered, “Go ahead.” Prompto was blushing almost feverishly, thinking this was a bad idea, they would be caught for sure, but the hormones in his head and the smell of Gladio's cologne convinced him otherwise.

Gladio, still pretending to merely have an arm around his boyfriend, snuck up the bottom of Prompto's shirt and began to explore the skin there. Prompto twitched and his breath hitched at the little caresses. He had a hand on Gladio's thigh, and it tightened its grip as Gladio traced patterns over sensitive skin. Prompto kept his face pressed into Gladio's neck, but began a counterattack, kissing and nipping lightly at the larger man. Gladio had to stifle a moan.

Both men were rock hard already, cocks straining against their pants, and the thrill of indecency pushed them onward. No one was looking their way; the only other person in their aisle was a few seats to the left, but the slightest glance to the side could give them away. Prompto shifted himself as close as he could get to his boyfriend and began to kneed the inside of Gladio's thigh. He still couldn't believe how built Gladio was, and he could feel evidence of the man's muscles – and his arousal – through the fabric of his jeans. He had seen Gladio's cock once, when they got fed up with waiting and swapped blow jobs before dinner last week, and he knew the shear size of the thing would not want to be contained in those pants. A rush went through him as he wondered how far they could go without getting caught. It was dark enough in here, certainly, and if they kept quiet... No one would have to know.

At the same time, Gladio's touches traveled lower and gave a not-so subtle tug at Prompto's waistband. Never mind the possible prying eyes, he thought, the movie was all explosions and action sequences now; no one would hear the sound of a zipper lowering amid all that. Prompto seemed to agree, because his free hand went to his belt and helped Gladio make room to reach inside. Gladio did more than that. Prompto gasped softly as the man gripped his cock and slipped it out of his boxers into the cold movie theater air. He shivered and swallowed a moan, hand tightening on Gladio's leg. He was completely exposed now, and if anyone were to look their way – the couple sitting two rows ahead of them, for instance – he would be caught with his cock stiff and dripping while Gladio stroked it and rubbed his thumb over the head. Prompto's hips twitched, and the man had to hold himself still in order to avoid drawing any attention.

'Gods, I can't move, or we'll be spotted,' he thought, turning his head back into Gladio's shoulder and breathing raggedly. 'Don't make a sound,' he told himself, even as Gladio's hand tightened and pulled upward from the base then back down again. Precum leaked from his tip, and Gladio smeared it over his palm and Prompto's shaft. Prompto thought if Gladio could just pick up the speed a little, just rub his head a bit more, he could cum, and part of him – most of him – desperately wanted that, to make a mess of himself right in the public eye, to push himself off the edge and damned if they were caught. His hips thrust upward the tiniest bit. He could spare a little movement.

Gladio's pants felt like they were choking him. Touching the blond, seeing him twitch and shiver with every stroke, sent pleasure coursing through him to his cock. 'If we get caught, then I'll be in serious trouble,' he thought, but that only spurred him to stroke Prompto a little harder. He had heard the noises Prompto made last week, and he wanted to hear them again, albeit in little puffs in his ear. What else was a dark movie theater for, anyway? Everyone knew the back row was for couples who didn't care about the movie. He shouldn't be worried about anyone catching them, even if the guy to their left had shifted slightly, and Gladio was half-sure he saw the man checking them out from the corner of his eye. No, there was no way they'd get caught, as long as Prompto could keep those delectable noises to the minimum. Gladio squeezed again and heard the blonde groan softly into his neck. Good. That's what he wanted to hear. So he repeated the motion.

Prompto's nerves were on fire, and he was certain he could cum if Gladio would just stop teasing already and pick up the pace. He opened his mouth to say so, but all that came out was strangled panting. Gladio kept that slow movement going, and Prompto thrust shallowly into it. It was all he dared to do lest someone catch wise. The chair could creak or he might cry out, and then someone would see them for sure. 'I'm at his mercy,' Prompto thought, rolling his head back and gasping in fresh air, 'This is too much.'

Down the aisle from them, the man cleared his throat. Gladio dared not look over, but surveyed him from his peripheral instead. The man wasn't looking directly at them, but he was shifting a lot, and Gladio thought maybe they were found out, after all. 'May as well go all in,' Gladio decided to himself, despite it being the reckless thing to do. He stroked Prompto's cock in earnest then, and the blonde shuddered and gripped Gladio, doing his best to keep still and calm. Little gasps of sound were leaking from his mouth the way precum leaked from his tip, and both indicated just how close he was. 'It's gonna be messy,' Gladio thought and couldn't conceal a lewd grin at the mental image. He wanted to see Prompto flushed and covered in cum, in the back seat of a movie theater. He wanted to fuck Prompto so badly, right then and there, but there were limits, boundaries, and even the black of the theater wouldn't hide them then, so this would have to do.

Prompto shook and bit down on his lip, trying to steel himself. The pleasure had built a heat in his gut, and any more of this would undo him. But Gladio was relentless, stroking with a firm grip that built up speed. Prompto was going to cum, and it was likely going to hit the back of the seat in front of him. There would be no hiding it. That was when Gladio turned his head and whispered to Prompto, “You like this, huh? Getting off in public. I should do this to you all the time. Can you imagine me fucking you in the alley where anyone could catch us?” He leaned in and ran a tongue over the shell of Prompto's ear, “The guy down there is watching us, you know. Better keep quiet or he'll hear you cum.”

That was it for Prompto. The blonde shuddered bodily and rocked his hips up a final time, choking down his cry of pleasure. Gladio moved his free hand to catch the load as Prompto shot thick ropes of cum over his fingers. Some of it splashed onto Prompto's shirt, but Gladio got most of it. Waves of pleasure rocked through Prompto's body, and he bit his lip to keep from moaning too loudly. When the shivers subsided, he snatched Gladio's wrist and brought it to his mouth to clean the fingers off. This time, it was Gladio who had to swallow a moan as Prompto's tongue swirled over each digit and sucked them dry. Leave no evidence, after all. Gladio tucked Prompto back into his pants and zipped him back up. He glanced sideways and noticed the man a few seats down was rocking his own hips ever so slightly, moving a hand slowly over his lap. 'Guess we put on a good show,' Gladio thought with a grin. They would definitely have to try this out again.


	2. Candle Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second prompt of the day, "In The Light"! It's a short one, but I think it's cute. Enjoy!
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com) and all that.

It was the night of the Candle Festival in Insomnia. Roads had been closed for parades, food vendors littered the streets, and the main plaza of the Citadel was awash with candlelight as thousands of people arrived to place their desires in the hands of the gods. Tradition dictated that everyone of age burn a single candle throughout the night, on the bottom of which was written the name of their beloved. If they should share a kiss with person whose name they wrote on their candle before it burned out, then the two would be fated to a happy life together. It was mostly considered a fun chance to dance and have festival food, but many people got engaged on the festival night, and some took the tradition seriously.

Prompto didn't want to admit it, but he was one of them. This would be his first time writing a name down on a candle, and he very much wanted his kiss before the night was through. 'It'll never happen,' he warned himself as he carefully wrote down the name of his desires and carried the candle to the plaza. He felt a little foolish as he set the candle down and lit it, but his heart wouldn't stop its beating as he imagined the night ending like a fairytale. His crush would reach out and cup his face in one hand, bring their mouths together, and as the fireworks lit the sky, the two would share their fated kiss. A huge blush crossed his face at the mental image, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when a familiar voice called from behind him.

“Oy, Prompto!”

Prompto yipped and turned, almost knocking his candle over, and came face to face with the man whose name he had just written down. “Gladio! H-hey!” Prompto tried to sound casual, like he wasn't harboring a massive and embarrassing crush on the other man, but was afraid he sounded too forced. Gladio went on like everything was normal.

“Doing the candle thing, too, huh? I guess we both have someone in mind.”

Prompto's heart plummeted. No way was his name written on Gladio's candle. A guy like Gladio just didn't go for someone like Prompto. There was no way. Still, he craned his head to try and look at just who his competition was. “What's their name?” he asked Gladio in a voice that was perhaps too tight.

Gladio set the candle down beside Prompto's and lit it, “That's a secret,” he replied. “You'll have to figure it out if you want to know.”

“I bet you'll get your kiss,” Prompto said, again forcing himself to sound casual, “Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Well, you never know. What about you? Who's the lucky guy?”

Prompto's blush was unmissable in the light of the plaza, “That's a secret, too! I mean, it's not gonna come true anyway, so...”

“Hey, you never know. Don't write yourself off.”

“I mean, it's only a silly tradition. It's not like it's real, or anything.” Prompto lied to himself how much he believed in it. That made things easier – easier to accept that he and Gladio would never be a thing.

“I don't know. My parents got together during a Candle Festival. Who knows what the Astrals pay attention to. Maybe some things are fate.”

Gods, but Gladio was perfect. Prompto wished he could tell the man that, but settled for saying, “Wanna see the parade? Or do you have to go find someone?”

“There's plenty of time in the night. Let's watch the parade. I'd say we could find Noct and Iggy, but they're probably making out somewhere.”

Prompto laughed, “Yeah, better not disturb them.” His heart soared that he would get the chance to spend time with Gladio during the festival. Sure, they wouldn't have that kiss, but this could be just as good, right? He would treasure the memories at least.

They ended up spending the entire night together. The parade ended, and then they went to split some food, followed by games (Prompto nailed a shooting game and gave Gladio a stuffed Moogle for Iris), and then some dancing. They watched some traditional dancers circle a fire pit, Prompto in awe of their grace and the long, flickering shadows the light cast, and Gladio watching Prompto more than the dancers. Both were with the person of their dreams, but neither knew it. The candles in the plaza burned low.

They walked to the plaza entrance after the dance ended, bathed in a glow that shifted and fluttered as the candles began to sputter out. Prompto found his voice, “Shouldn't you go look for your partner?”

Gladio considered the moment, then touched Prompto's shoulder and said, voice barely louder than the commotion of the festival, “I've been with you this whole time.”

Prompto's eyes widened, and then Gladio's touch moved to the blond's cheek and lingered. “Gladio, I-” Prompto choked down an incredulous laugh, “Gladio, the name I wrote down... was yours.”

Gladio's smile then was something Prompto would keep in his heart forever, “We're idiots, aren't we?”

“Kiss me?”

“It's the only thing I've wanted to do all night.”

Gladio drew Prompto's face close to his, then, and Prompto took hold of the man's biceps, leaning up on tip-toes to close the height difference between them. Their lips brushed, gently at first, then with greater enthusiasm as they relaxed into the kiss. Their chests pressed together, and they kissed like they had never truly experienced passion before then. Prompto opened his mouth, and Gladio dove in with his tongue, and the explored each other under the heat of the candlelight. At last pulling away, Prompto panted softly, “My place? We could... watch a movie?”

“Yeah,” Gladio smiled again, “let's go.”

They walked hand in hand down the streets of Insomnia, their final destination a cozy apartment and each other's arms. In the plaza, their candles burned brightly beside one another.


	3. STRIKE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These next two fics are a bit of an experiment. For Promptio Week, I wanted to test myself out and try new things, so some of these fics will be different from my usual style or pacing.
> 
> This prompt is "Exploration". If you want fluff and happiness, then please click over to my next chapter, where you'll find good feelings. This one is my first crack at something of a horror story. It was fun to write, and I hope those of you who stick around to read it enjoy it as well. ^.^ The setting is kind of a modern AU where daemons function a lot like hauntings, except they're known by everyone to be real and dangerous. There's a blend of our paranormal and FFXV lore. I also included a few references to some horror movies, if you catch them.
> 
> As always, you can find me on my [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/), where I'll be announcing a livestream of the Episode Prompto DLC happening tomorrow 6/28/17. Come join us, if you'd like!

They weren't going to take the case at first. Their load was heavy at the moment, exorcising daemons and blessing homes across Eos, but the call was persistent and emphatic that they needed to come now and deal with whatever entity had possessed the farmhouse out in Duscae, so they folded and agreed to give it a full investigation. The four of them (occasionally five, when Lunafreya joined to help out with her unique penchant for calming spirits) had been running this operation for almost as many years now. When a sudden uptick in daemonic activity plagued Insomnia, they had decided to take matters into their own hands and tackle the problems as a team. Noctis was a natural born psychic, able to sense and call on the otherworldly beings, and often his ability was what enabled them to calm the daemons and send them to peace. Prompto was their resident tech wiz, keeping them stocked with the latest and greatest gadgets to help capture the paranormal activity on recordings. Gladio assisted him, lugging around the heavy equipment and setting up all the shots to Prompto's orders. Ignis did the research before they took on any cases, and when they became a legitimate business, he kept the books as well. They worked together like a dream, and as a unit they were the Supernatural Team Resolving Investigations in the Kingdoms of Eos, or, as they preferred, STRIKE.

They had yet to deal with a problem large enough to cause them trouble, but it seemed right away that whatever had possessed the farmhouse was going to be that case. As soon as Noctis walked in the building he covered his nose and mouth from the stink of it. Definitely daemonic activity, he reported. Ignis called in Lunafreya, though she wouldn't arrive for another two days, being that she was out in Tenebrae, exorcising local daemons. In the meantime, they would gather evidence of the activity and do what they could to calm it. The owners of the house thanked them profusely and left to stay in Lestallum until further contacted.

“Ok, let's finish getting this equipment set up before nightfall, and then we can talk about what's going on here. You ok, Noct?” Prompto glanced at the queasy-looking man.

“Yeah. Yeah, just a little nauseous. Whatever's in here is tough and it's angry. I don't think it likes me at all.”

“Take it easy, dude. Just rest for now. We'll explore this place later.”

They had a policy to never leave anyone alone when dealing with an active site, so Prompto accompanied Gladio around the house to set up cameras and microphones in different corners, while Ignis and Noctis stayed in the living room, which operated as their home base with their main monitoring screens and equipment at the ready. Ignis and Noctis watched as each screen connected with a live feed camera from throughout the building, until Prompto and Gladio had an angle in every room. They also watched the two take a minute to swap some tongue after setting the last camera.

Ignis shook his head, “We ought to tell them to stop doing that. Highly unprofessional.”

Noctis just snorted and said, “They'd do it anyway. It's a miracle they keep their hands to themselves at all.” Then he winced and put a hand to his head. Yeah, whatever was here was pissed that they were intruding.

When the four of them reunited in the living room, it was already dusk, and they prepared themselves to begin a trek through the house to find the most active areas and hopefully the intent of the daemon. They had gotten little information from the family who lived here, mostly the same old story of noises, moving objects, and bad feelings, but they could tell how scared the people were, how ready they were to leave and be done with the house. In his research, Ignis had uncovered no particular information regarding the building's history or the grounds, so they were left to discover this entity's purpose on their own.

It was business as usual at first. Gladio and Prompto both had portable cameras on them, one for video recording and the other for snapshots, while Ignis held a microphone to play back any possible Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Noctis walked as casually as he could through the house, letting his senses guide him. The first few rooms yielded nothing, and Noctis commented how it seemed the daemon had settled down for now. They moved through the dark from room to room, eyes and ears peeled for any activity, but everything just looked like a normal farmhouse.

“It knows we want to find it,” Noctis said, “It's intelligent.”

That sent a chill through the group. Most daemons were mindless balls of rage or pain that only needed soothing to be sent along. Never had they ever encountered a daemon with a mind of its own. They returned to the living room to look back over footage and audio. Gladio leaned over Prompto's shoulder as the blonde flicked through camera footage of each room. He snuck a kiss on his boyfriend's neck, and Prompto stifled a giggle at the tickle of his beard. “Come on, this is serious,” he whispered to Gladio, but there was a goofy grin on his face anyway.

They found nothing of note on their first night, so they called it a little early, deciding to crash on the living room couches for a few hours. The nap was followed by coffee and snacks and Prompto looking through the cameras for any activity while they had rested. The other three were talking in low voices over their coffee when they heard Prompto breathe out, “Shit.”

Interest piqued, they turned to him, “Got something?” Gladio asked.

“Um, yeah, you could say that.” Prompto glanced up to the camera that was situated in the corner of the living room. It was right where they had left it. He rewound and played back the footage for them.

It was the four of them sleeping, around three in the morning. Ignis was propped up in a chair, Noctis took one couch, and Gladio and Prompto spooned on the other, with Prompto facing the room. As they watched, the camera turned, tracking to the left and centering on the blond. Then it zoomed in on his sleeping face and stayed there for an entire hour. After that, static covered the screen, and when the picture returned, the angle was in its original spot.

A moment of uncomfortable silence lingered between them all, and Ignis broke it by asking, “You're positive that's not some malfunction?”

“It can't be. That camera isn't even set to track. It shouldn't be able to pan like that.” Prompto felt a little sick after watching the footage back a second time. He saved the clip to his computer.

“We need to be careful,” Noctis said, “Whatever's here, it wants us to know it's watching. It's playing a game with us.”

Their next encounter with the entity happened through Noctis. After spending a few hours combing the house again for any contact with no results, they sat down around the living room table to let Noctis attempt some automatic writing. By then it was midday, and Noctis felt safe enough to try channeling the spirit. It wasn't something he resorted to often, but this time, considering the apparent intelligence of the daemon, he figured writing could be one solution. He had pen and paper set out on the wooden coffee table, and they all sat on the floor in a circle around it.

“You're absolutely sure about this, Noct?” Ignis asked him. They had seen him weakened by powerful daemons in the past, even with his expertise.

Noctis nodded, “It's noon. Daemons hardly ever act up during the day. Even if this thing is strong, I should be all right.”

Prompto reached under the table and took Gladio's hand. Truth was, this part of the job freaked him out. He had seen his best friend channel before, and watching the man's eyes change color and feeling the electricity in the air as he called on and banished daemons was unsettling. He thought back to the camera from last night and felt a cold shiver run through him. Gladio squeezed his hand.

Noctis took a deep breath and focused himself. They sat in silence and let the man prepare. Minutes ticked by, and when he felt ready, Noctis picked up the pen and pressed the point to the first page. He normally would have started by writing out a question, but the moment the tip touched the paper, it took off. Noctis felt himself dragged across the page in wide, jagged letters. _BEGONE_ he wrote. _BEGONE BEGONE BEGONEBEGONEBEGONE_ the pen scrawled furiously, pulling Noctis along as the man cried out and clutched the table with his free hand to steady himself. His eyes burned brilliant purple and his right hand flung itself over the pages like a caged animal clawing to get free.

“Who are you?” Noctis choked out. It had gotten so hard to breathe, to think, all he could do was keep himself from falling over by the force of the pull on his arm.

His left hand reached now, without his consent, and fanned out the papers before him so his right hand could scratch across them in huge, uneven letters:

_A C c U r S ED_

Prompto bit his lip hard to keep from crying out for the thing to stop. He knew better than to interrupt Noctis while the man was channeling. He squeezed harder at Gladio's hand, desperate for comfort. Noctis gasped out a final question before collapsing over the table, “What do you want?” Despite his limp body, his right arm moved in hasty strokes across the paper, and then onto the table itself, digging into the wood so hard that the pen left gouges in its surface. Noctis' body ragdolled behind the movement. The entity possessing his arm repeated one thing as it flew over the table, creating a rough scratching sound.

_PROMPTOproMptoPrOMPto_

_prompTOpROMpToPROMPTOPRomPTO_

_pRompTOPROMptoPrOmPtOprOMpToprompto_

_PRomptOprOmPto_

_P_

_R_

_O_

_M_

_P_

“That's enough!” Gladio shouted, standing and slamming his hands on the table. Prompto had been staring in shock at the scribbling, and he felt the hand in his tighten to the point of pain. He looked at Gladio, clutching the table, and Ignis, with his hands over his mouth, and tears pricked his eyes as he thought, 'Who the fuck is holding my hand?'

It all ended as suddenly as it had started. The grip on Prompto's hand released with a final, almost gentle, caress to the outside of his wrist, and Noctis went entirely limp, the pen coming to a halt. Prompto stood, shaking, and walked to the other side of the room, arms around himself. Noctis coughed a few times and shuddered, then pushed himself into a sitting position. Ignis steadied him. Black goo dribbled down Noctis' chin, evidence of a powerful daemonic possession. His eyes were unfocused, but had returned to their usual shade of blue. Gladio heard a choked sob from Prompto and moved to the man's side.

Prompto was clutching his right hand with his left. There were black imprints on his skin where the phantom hand had grasped him, and beneath that, on his wrist, a barcode had appeared as if tattooed there. The blonde shook and pressed himself into Gladio's arms. “What the fuck,” he cried, gripping his boyfriend, “What the fuck?”

When Prompto had calmed and Noctis was lucid again, they discussed what had happened. “Prom, you're not safe here,” Noctis said, “The daemon's fixated on you. You should leave the rest to us.”

Prompto, who was hugging his now marked arm to his chest, replied, “You're not safe, either. We should call it quits on this one, you guys. I think it's too much.”

“Lunafreya will be here tomorrow,” Ignis said, “With her, we should have no trouble exorcising this daemon. I agree with Noctis. You should leave before anything else happens.”

Prompto hung his head. When he didn't say anything, Gladio offered, “I'll come with you, Prom. We can stay at the motel we passed on the way. You'll be all right.”

“No! No, I would rather you stay with Noct and Iggy. They'll need the help. I'll be fine. I can check into a motel on my own.”

They agreed, and Prompto gathered his things. At the door in the foyer, he stopped and embraced them each. “Stay safe, you guys. Keep in touch. I want to know what's happening here.”

“Promise.” Noctis said.

Prompto kissed his boyfriend last, lingering there, buying as much time as he could to be at their side. Gladio broke the kiss and told him in a gentle voice to get moving, and Prompto nodded and shifted the weight of the bag on his shoulder. “See you guys later,” he mumbled, praying it would be true. He walked to the door and turned the knob.

It wouldn't budge. A cold pit formed in his stomach, and he tried harder. It jangled a little, but the door may as well have been a stone wall.

“Prompto?” Gladio walked up and checked the door as well. No good. “Fuck.” He glanced to Noctis and Ignis and asked, “Is it possible for a daemon to shut us in?”

Noctis exchanged a look with Ignis and said, “Yeah, but it would have to be way more powerful than anything we've ever dealt with.”

“Let's check a window,” Prompto said, voice thin. His whole body felt cold.

They walked back to the living room to pull at the windows there, but stopped in their tracks when they looked out through them. They could see their car, parked in the driveway as though perfectly normal, but between the glass and the view were metal bars. “Holy shit. Holy fuck, that wasn't there before.” The panic growing in Prompto's chest threatened to take over. Tears pricked his eyes as he looked back down at the table where his name had been carved over and over. He could have been imagining things, but he swore he heard a voice whisper his name.

“Let's all remain calm,” Ignis said in an even tone. How he could not be freaking out at a time like this was beyond Prompto, “If it's like other daemons, then it'll feed on our negative emotions. It's already powerful enough. No need to fuel it.” He looked to Prompto, and the blond sucked in a deep breath, knowing he was right.

“So we look for a weakness,” Noctis said, “A place in the house where it's not as powerful. Maybe we can get out through there.” There was a tacit agreement now that they all had to leave if they could. This daemon would have to be dealt with alongside Lunafreya.

They combed the house as a unit, room by room, trying doors and checking windows. The first floor yielded no results. When they arrived on the second floor, they noticed something they hadn't seen before. “Does this place have a third floor?” Gladio asked, eyeing the staircase at the end of the hall. The group had been through the entirety of the house just the other night and the stairs certainly hadn't been there. But then again, neither had bars on the windows.

“Maybe it's an attic? You know, the kind with a folding staircase?” Prompto offered, but even without Noctis' psychic ability he could tell there was something off about the addition.

“Let's not go up there.” Noctis said, turning away from the area. They entered a familiar room, the kids' bedroom, and checked the windows there. No luck. When they turned back to leave the room, the doorway was gone, replaced with a set of stairs. “Fuck,” Noctis swore, stopping in his tracks.

“How is that even possible?” Muttered Gladio. The stairs lead up into darkness, and no one was keen to try them.

“Let's go through the bathroom,” Ignis suggested, “The master bedroom is connected to this one.”

Prompto reached for Gladio's hand as they walked together through the bathroom and opened the door on the opposite side to see... the same fucking kids' bedroom. It was as if they had turned around in the bathroom and re-entered the bedroom instead of walking through. Noctis hesitated, then turned and opened the door on the other side, revealing the same bedroom.

“What the fuck kind of maze is this place?” Prompto said, burying his face in Gladio's chest. The larger man wrapped arms around him and did his best to soothe the blond. They turned back to face the opposite door, only to see that the bedroom had been replaced by the dark stairs. “So what?” Prompto said, trying not to cry, “We just wait in this bathroom until Lunafreya shows up?”

“This door still leads to the kids' room,” Noctis said, making sure to keep an eye on his target. “Let's go back in there and wait.” They entered the bedroom once again and used a chair to prop open the door to the bathroom, in case they needed it. No privacy allowed under these circumstances. Not wanting to look at the black staircase anymore, Prompto closed the door that lead to it.

Time ticked by, and the light shining through the window grew dim. Noctis reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace with a crystal dangling at the end. He kept it with him any time they went on an investigation, and now seemed like the best time to use the thing. “Here, sit in a circle,” he told them, “I'm gonna try to set up a safety barrier for us.” He held it out so it suspended in the middle of them all and closed his eyes, focusing his energy on the item.

The other three watched as the crystal began to glow, faintly at first, and then with a luminescence that rivaled one of their industrial flashlights. It started swinging around in a circle as though Noctis were twirling it, though his arm was steady and still. Light filled the room, and each of them felt a warmth grow within. The crystal stilled, and Noctis hung it back around his neck, looking suddenly exhausted.

“That's a new one,” Gladio said.

“I never thought I'd need to do it,” Noctis replied, slumping a little, “but we should be safe for the night. I'm gonna get some sleep. Luna should be here before I run out of energy to power this thing. Wake me up when you hear from her, or if anything else happens.” He crawled into one of the beds and curled up on the sheets, dropping off to sleep without pause.

Prompto had to admit, he felt a bit better. He was warm now, and the room was well lit. He checked his watch – nine P.M. They just had to wait until morning, and then Lunafreya would be there to help. After a couple of hours, he succumbed to sleep as well, claiming the second bed while Ignis and Gladio stayed up to watch over them both.

When Prompto awoke, it was still dark outside, and he could hear voices speaking in low tones. The light in the room had dimmed considerably from when he had fallen asleep, and he glanced at his watch to check the time. He looked back out the window. That couldn't be right. His watch read ten A.M., but there was no sunlight to speak of. He stood up and walked to the others. Noctis was awake as well, but looking haggard.

“Hey,” he said, “What's going on?”

“We received a call from Lunafreya, but I'm afraid it was interrupted,” Ignis told him, “We're attempting to reestablish contact.”

“Interrupted how?”

The three men exchanged looks, and Gladio shook his head, “Not important. How did you sleep?” There was no need to tell Prompto that the call had turned to static and a voice simply repeating the blond's name and the words 'give me' until they hung up.

“Not bad, but still feeling pretty tired. What about you guys? Noct? Not to be rude, but you look like hell, buddy.” Noctis grunted in reply, head drooping and then snapping back up again. Prompto chewed his lip and turned his attention back to the other two. “So no luck with Lunafreya? I'll try my phone.” He pulled it out and dialed her number.

After two rings, a familiar voice came on the other end, “Hello? Prompto?”

“Lunafreya!” Prompto broke out into a grin, “Where are you?”

“In the house. Where are you guys? I've checked everywhere.”

The grin disappeared, “We're upstairs. Kids' bedroom. We're, uh, kinda locked in?”

“Ok. I'm coming to you now.” Prompto could hear her footsteps on the phone, ascending the staircase. Then a knock. “This is the door, right? First one on the left? Can you hear me knocking?”

“Um.” Prompto glanced at the door that was supposed to lead into the hallway. No knocks had come from the other side.

“Ok I'm inside. You're not here. I'd ask if this is the wrong address, but I saw your car in the driveway. What's going on?”

Prompto felt a tinge of panic rise in his throat. He looked at the other men in the room. Noctis slumped over entirely just then, breathing heavy. In the corner of his eye was the window to the outside, barred shut, darkness of night on the other side. “Lunafreya, tell me something. Is it daytime where you're at?” he tried to keep his voice even and calm.

“What? Of course it is. Prompto, tell me what's happening.”

“Name,” Noctis croaked from his slumped position. Ignis was tending to him with a bottle of water. “Tell her... we need to know its name.”

“Ok. Right. Um, Lunafreya, you have to help us find out the daemon's name. We gotta banish it, or I think we might be stuck here.”

“I'll do what I can. Stay safe.” Then her voice changed, lost her Tenebraen accent and deepened, “Prompto, see you soon.” The phone clicked off.

Prompto froze, and the horror must have shown on his face, because Gladio asked, “What did she say?”

“N-nothing. The phone just shut off. How's Noct?”

“Coming around a bit,” Ignis replied, “but we're low on water and edibles. We can't survive here for an extended period of time. We need to move.”

“But the staircase-”

“May be our only option. We either face what's up there now, or wait until we're too weak to fight back at all.”

“Let's wait for Noct to get better, then we can go,” Gladio said, “We should rest while we can. Maybe Lunafreya will find a solution before we have to move.”

So they settled back in for a few more hours. Prompto, despite having slept a while, collapsed back on the bed and curled up again, feeling the ache of exhaustion in his bones. He couldn't imagine how Noctis must feel. The man slept as well, after Ignis coaxed him to drink more water and eat part of an energy bar. While they rested, the crystal around Noctis' neck dimmed to darkness and cracked.

Prompto was aware of hands on his body and a mouth on his neck before opening his eyes. 'I'm home,' he thought through the fog of sleep, 'Gladio and I are home.' He shifted on the bed and moaned quietly at the light touches pulling up his shirt and tugging at his waistband. “Nngh... Gladio...” he murmured, turning his head to one side so his boyfriend could reach more of his neck. Gladio bit down then, hard enough to make Prompto yelp. A hand closed over Prompto's wrist and jerked him up out of bed, and Prompto shouted, unsure of what was going on.

“Prompto!” Gladio's voice thundered, and the blond realized the man he thought had been touching him was standing on the opposite end of the room.

Ignis and Noctis jerked awake to the sounds as well to see Prompto being dragged by his arm toward the now open door that lead up the black stairs. They couldn't see what held him. Gladio ran over and was thrown backward several feet by the invisible force. Noctis grabbed at the crystal around his neck only to see that it had cracked while they slept. So instead he summoned up what energy he had left and shouted, “Let him go!” His eyes blazed purple as he made the command, one powerful enough to banish any common daemon, but this one merely faltered and dropped Prompto. For a brief moment, Noctis glimpsed its form, but then it faded and the room quieted.

Prompto sat in shock on the ground, inches from the staircase. Gladio ran to him and scooped him up, carrying him out of range of the steps. He set Prompto down on the bed beside Noctis, but the blond wouldn't let him go, so he joined them as well. Their group stayed silent for a few minutes before Prompto whispered, “It bit me.” He looked at Gladio, “I thought it was you, but then it bit me.” There was bruising on his neck to emphasize his statement. Gladio touched the mark as gently as he could, and then Prompto began to cry.

“I saw it, for a second,” Noctis said, “It looked like a man.” Daemons almost never had humanoid characteristics. Noctis worried they were in way over their heads.

“I saw it, too,” Prompto said through his tears as he let Gladio hold him, “I could see it the whole time it was dragging me. It was a man. It had a long coat and a hat, and there was black around its eyes and mouth.” His skin crawled thinking about the kisses and the touching. “What did I do? Why does it want me?”

“You have a lot of positive energy, Prom,” Noctis said, touching his shoulder in attempt to comfort him, “And, um, an intelligent daemon might be able to see how much you love Gladio. It could be jealous. Daemons were human once, and this one still has a human shape. Maybe it has human desires, too? I don't know. I've never dealt with this before.” He shook his head.

Prompto wanted to tell them about the way it had touched him, but the turn of his stomach kept him from saying anything. He just wished he could forget about all of this and go home. Right then, their phones went off, alerting them of text messages. Ignis pulled his out first. “It seems Lunafreya has managed to send us a group text,” he informed as the others grabbed their phones, “She's completed preparations for an exorcism. She wants us to attempt one as well, from wherever we are.”

They all read the message and nodded. Prompto clicked his phone off hastily and stuffed it back in his pocket. He had no message from Lunafreya. All his said was, “YOU'RE MINE”. He tried to pretend he wasn't cold sweating at the thought.

The group started working on an exorcism set up. Noctis wished he knew exactly how Luna was doing hers so they could match, but this would have to do. They still didn't know the daemon's name, but that had never stopped them in the past. It ate at Noctis, though he tried to not be too tired and distracted while preparing. He would have to call on the Astrals for this one, and it would take every bit of energy he had left. He hoped Luna would be safe where she was and said a small protective prayer in her honor.

When they finished setting up what they could with their limited resources, Noctis stood in the middle of the room and closed his eyes. Prompto wrapped himself around Gladio, and Ignis crossed his arms while they watched the event unfold. They had used dolls and toys from the kids' bedroom to represent each Astral, and the first thing that happened as Noctis began to mutter under his breath was the items floating into the air. No one else said a word as Noctis channeled the power of the gods to call on the daemon in the house.

A wind whipped up inside the room, and they braced themselves as objects flew off of shelves and light shone from the center. Prompto closed his eyes against the white flare, and when he opened them again, a man stood before them all. Prompto recognized it as the daemon who had been dragging him toward the stairs. A chill passed through his body as it turned and made eye contact with him. Ignoring Noctis entirely, it strolled over to Prompto, who started backing away. Gladio glanced at him, and Prompto realized that no one else could see this man, this monster, approaching him. It reached out, and Prompto felt ice touch him as it grabbed his chin and tilted his head up to better look at his face.

“Let go of me!” Prompto screamed, trying to wrench away from it.

Chaos erupted in the room. Noctis turned in Prompto's direction and shouted, “Leave this place, daemon!” The power of the Astrals flowed through him, and the items they had placed around a circle were spinning in the air. Then they could all see its form as it responded to Noctis' command, grabbing its head and writhing as if in utter agony. Gladio hugged Prompto to him, blocking the blond with his body, knowing it would do little if the daemon attacked. They could hear, as if in a distant echo, Lunafreya's voice intoning a prayer. Then it stopped. The daemon made a final lunge in Prompto's direction before melting away into black goo and dissipating entirely. The objects floating in the air dropped like stones, and Noctis' eyes returned to their usual blue.

“Is it... over?” Prompto whispered, still huddled in Gladio's arms.

Ignis walked to the door that lead out into the hallway and opened it. No staircase. As a unit – a tired, wary unit – they walked to the first floor and saw the sun shine through unbarred windows. Their equipment remained untouched in the living room, broadcasting the live feed from the camera stationed throughout the house. On one, they could see Lunafreya, closing a book and breathing a heavy sigh. Ignis walked to the base of the stairs and called out for her. She ran down and greeted them each with hugs. Everyone felt the relief of a successful exorcism. 

~

That evening, Prompto was relishing being back in his and Gladio's apartment. They made love, despite the fatigue, and then dropped off to sleep together. Prompto awoke in the middle of the night, cold and nervous without knowing why. 'Did I have a bad dream?' he thought groggily, and peeked open his eyes to see Gladio standing over him. “Gladio...?” Prompto's voice trailed off into a silent question. The man reached down and stroked his cheek. Gods, but his hand was icy. “Gladio, what's wrong?”

Gladio shook his head, “Nothing, Prompto, we're together now.” His voice didn't sound right. It was too light to be Gladio's. Prompto felt his stomach drop.

“Gladio, you're freaking me out.”

“Come on, Prompto,” he said, sliding his hands under the blonde's body and lifting him with no effort.

“Gladio, what the hell?”

The larger man carried Prompto to their bedroom door, and it opened without Prompto ever seeing him touch it. On the other side was the black staircase.

“No. No, fuck no. Gladio, stop! Let go of me!” Prompto tried to thrash, but Gladio – or the monster controlling him – kept his movements in check.

“That's not my name, Prompto, you know that.”

Tears welled in Prompto's eyes, “Who are you?”

The man leaned over and whispered in his ear, “From now on, call me Ardyn.” He straightened up and continued before Prompto could get in another word. “It's time, Prompto,” and now as he spoke, Prompto saw double: the face of the daemon mirrored behind Gladio's, “Let's go home.”

They ascended the staircase.


	4. The Spirit And The Golem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a dose of happiness after that last chapter. This prompt is "Mythical Creatures AU". I wanted to write it like a bedtime fairytale, so the style is very simple. Not a ton of plot to be had here, but there's fluff instead.
> 
> Here's another note about my [ Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/). Check it out and stuff.

Once upon a time, there was a magical forest, and in that forest lived a guardian who created and protected all the plants and creatures in it. He was as old as the soil itself, though he looked young and beautiful. As long as the forest thrived, so did he. Every day, he cared for the plants and animals, giving them life and sometimes taking that life away. He was happy, high spirited, and full of laughter. His hair shone golden like the sun, and his eyes were blue as the rains that his forest drank. Time passed him in peace and joy, every day a chance to create new life. Little ever changed in his forest, little ever left the cycle of life and death, and nothing upset the forest's balance. Until one day, something did.

The spirit became aware of someone in his forest almost immediately. It had great, lumbering footsteps that crushed his grass and flowers. He felt the pain of the flora as it fell beneath whatever behemoth had entered his home, and then the sharp, crying pain of one of his trees as the monster took an ax to it. He glided over the ground as fast as possible to find whoever was causing this disturbance. At the entrance to the forest, only a few feet in, was a great hulk of a creature, swinging an ax into the tree before it.

Despite the spirit being only half the intruder's size, he called out, voice pained, “Stop!”

The thing stilled its swings and turned, and the guardian saw a face, though scarred from some unknown reason, that was rugged and handsome. The spirit had never had a companion other than his trees and animals, and had never known he'd want one, until this day. The man creature put down his ax and looked the spirit up and down. “I'm chopping wood for my master,” he said in a deep voice, “Why should I stop?”

Though he found himself nervous and desired this man, the spirit found his courage and his voice, “This is my forest. It is under my protection. Find another place to chop your wood.” 'But stay here,' he thought, 'and talk with me a while longer.'

The man creature, for the spirit could tell it was no true human, not at its hulking size and musculature, said plainly, “I need wood for my master. There is no other forest nearby. Please, I can't go back empty handed.”

The guardian thought and said, “What if I give you saplings to take to your master? You can plant them, and overnight, they will grow to a great size. Continue planting their seeds and caring for them, and you may have all the wood you need. Just harm my forest no further.” The man agreed, and the spirit used his magic to create a set of saplings for him to return with. “These are enough to create an entire forest of your own, if you so choose. Treat them well, and they will do the same for you.”

The man thanked the spirit and turned to leave, but the guardian called out, “You can visit me again, if you like. What is your name?”

The man looked back and replied, “I'm sorry, but I have no name. I am only a golem created to serve my master.”

The spirit understood then, and he nodded. “You may call me Prompto,” he said, “I will wait for you, if you choose to return.”

They parted ways, and the following day, Prompto felt the massive golem's presence in his forest once again. He glided to the creature's side, “Hello, golem. I'm happy to see you again.”

“Hello, Prompto. My master liked your gift. He sent me back to ask for more.”

“More? What I gave you was enough to create a forest.”

“My master thinks he can sell the saplings and become rich.”

“Tell him no. Tell him I will not expend my magic for the greed of a mortal.” The golem nodded and turned to leave, but Prompto caught his shoulder and continued, “Stay with me a while. I would like to know you.”

The golem didn't understand, but nodded anyway, thinking this spirit was kind and gentle and everything he wanted his master to be. He had no orders to return on time, so a walk with this spirit would be within his commands.

They strolled for hours through the forest, Prompto showing the golem the beauty of its life and inhabitants. They came to a clearing, sunlit and colorful, with a lake in the center, and flowers all around. The golem stopped and marveled at its loveliness. Never before had he seen so many colors and light, and he felt his heart soar. “This is... incredible,” he murmured, touching a flower as gently as he could.

“They are my favorite,” Prompto said with a smile, “This place is very special to me. I wanted to share it with you.”

“I think this is my favorite, too,” replied the golem. The flowers came on long stalks in such a variety of colors that he didn't know what to focus on. Prompto smiled at his awe.

They spent another hour there, at the lakeside, soaking in sun and learning about each other, but as the light grew long, the golem stood said he needed to return. “I hope I'll see you again,” they both said, and it was true.

The golem returned the next day, again with a request for more saplings. “My master wishes me to convince you to give them to me,” he said.

“Then I will have to say no so you will keep coming back,” replied the spirit.

And with that, they returned to the clearing, the flowers, and the lake, all other troubles forgotten. This went on for a month, until Prompto turned to his companion and said, “I could free you with my magic.” He tried to speak casually and not reveal how badly he wanted this man at his side always, “I could break the bond between you and your master.”

The golem thought it over and said, “I would like that. I like you, Prompto, more than I've ever liked anything. I would be your golem, if you want me.”

Prompto shook his head, “No, friend, you would be free, unbound. You could go anywhere you wished. Or... you could live here with me.” Hope tinged his voice at those words.

“Then I choose you,” the golem said, touching Prompto's cheek with one massive hand.

Prompto's smile lit the sky brighter than even the sun, and he reached for the golem's head, taking it in both hands. The golem wrapped his arms around Prompto's slim body and brought him close. The spirit whispered a spell, and light shone between them as he placed his lips against the golem's, finding them softer than he imagined possible. He exhaled life into the creature, granting him freedom for eternity. When he pulled away, the golem blinked and looked around and down at his hands, “I am me,” he said with awe, “I am free.”

“You can do anything you want now,” the spirit told him.

“Then I will stay here and help you with the forest,” the golem replied.

Prompto brushed fingers through the golem's hair and said, “Nothing would make me happier.”

They stood together and looked out at the clearing. “I want a name. I am free now, and I should have a name of my own,” the golem declared.

“Then what shall I call you?”

“The flowers here. What are they called?”

“These are gladiolus flowers,” said Prompto, “My favorites.”

“Gladiolus, then. That will be my name.”

“Ok, Gladiolus, it's a pleasure to meet you.” Prompto reached out to shake the man's hand.

Instead, Gladiolus pulled the spirit into a hug, “The pleasure is mine,” he said, smelling sunshine and fresh flowers in Prompto's hair.

From that day on, they were side by side, caring for their forest and loving each other wholly. And they lived happily ever after.


	5. Just Desserts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time around I've combined both prompts to create "Betrayal" and "Dessert". It actually happened on accident; I was writing the "Betrayal" prompt and then realized it involved cupcakes, so I decided to just put the two together. XD Anyway, this drabble is my attempt at writing some humor, and I hope it's successful. Please enjoy! ^.^
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/). I'm streaming the Episode Prompto DLC tonight, 6/28/17, and the information is posted there. I hope you'll join us!

Today was a shit day. Work had been full of yelling, chastisement, and snob. College had been failed tests and disappointment. He missed his usual train on the way home and had to wait an extra thirty minutes to make the connection. His phone died, so he didn't even have a fun distraction from it all. Prompto was sure if he didn't have things to look forward to at home that he would just give up on it all today.

But waiting at home for him would be Gladio and, almost more importantly, that leftover cupcake Ignis had baked yesterday. Vanilla and strawberries and just a hint of almond, his absolute favorite. He had been saving it for today, knowing that Mondays were the worst and he would want a pick-me-up by the end of it. Just thinking about biting into it set his mouth watering. So it gave him strength knowing soon enough he would be curled up on the couch with the love of his life. Oh, and Gladio would be there, too. He chuckled a little at the thought. Gladio probably wouldn't find the joke very funny, but Prompto appreciated it, anyway.

Finally – finally! – he made it home. Opening the door and tossing his keys on the counter he called out, “I'm home,” tired, but relieved to have made it.

“'Bout time,” Gladio replied from the couch, “Trouble with the trains?” He spoke through a mouthful of something.

“Missed the connection.” Prompto sighed and bee-lined for the kitchen, where his treat awaited him. He opened the container he had stored it in, but only found crumbs. “Uh, Gladio? Where's my cupcake?”

“The one on the counter?” There was trepidation in Gladio's voice.

“Yeah. Ignis made them special yesterday. I was saving it.” Prompto walked into the living room, holding the empty container.

And there was Gladio, cupcake wrapper in one hand and a smear of icing at the corner of his mouth. Prompto gaped at him. Gladio shifted uncomfortably, “I didn't realize...”

“Traitor!” Prompto cried out, pointing at him, “Food thief! Cupcake kidnapper!”

“Prom, I'm sorry. If I had known...”

“Sweet stealer! Dessert debaucher! Pastry pilferer!”

“Prompto, come on, it's just a cupcake.”

Prompto gasped as if this was the greatest betrayal of all and stormed out of the room. He returned a moment later, gasped again to emphasize his point, and left a second time. Gladio shook his head, but took action anyway.

~

Prompto was alone in their bedroom for a few hours, grumbling to himself and texting Noctis all about his woes. Noctis was sympathetic, but 'loled' a few too many times to be convincing. Prompto stewed and had a pity party in his cupcake's honor. 'I should throw it a funeral,' he texted Noctis, 'Poor thing didn't stand a chance against Gladio's gob. He probably didn't even savor it. It deserved better.'

They went back and forth like this until Prompto heard a knock at the door. He grumbled noises and said, “If that's not the best cupcake I've ever eaten, come to fly me to the land of pastries and icing, then I don't think I want to open up.”

“Prom, I've got something for you,” Gladio was unable to hide the laughter in his voice.

“Oh, so it's funny to eat another man's cupcake, is it? I don't think this door wants to open.”

“I'm coming in. I know it's unlocked.”

“Fine, but know I've got my pouting face on. Prepare to be pouted at.” Prompto sat cross-legged on the bed and folded his arms over his chest, putting on his best look.

Gladio peeked in and exclaimed, “Oh, how will I ever survive under that withering gaze?”

“Listen, you! You're the one who ate my sweet, and you're-” Prompto cut himself off, because Gladio opened the door the rest of the way and presented the blonde with a tray of cupcakes, fresh made, and smelling like heaven. “Obviously the greatest boyfriend ever!” Prompto finished and hopped up, running to the man and snatching up the tray of confectioneries.

“Ignis made them special, just now,” Gladio informed him. Prompto was already munching his way through the first cake and moaning like he'd never had anything so good.

“You went all the way to Ignis' just to get cupcakes for me?” Prompto spoke through a mouth thick with sugar.

“Sure. I mean, I owe him one now, and that could end up killing me, but I love you, Prom. I didn't mean to eat your cupcake.”

Prompto hugged him, “It's ok, Gladio, I wasn't really that mad.”

“You weren't?”

“No, I was kinda pissed. But whatever! You brought me cupcakes! That's, like, marriage material right there.” He took another bite.

“Well, I'm happy you're happy.” Gladio reached for a cupcake as well.

“Touch those cakes, and I bite your fingers off,” Prompto said without even looking at the man. Gladio retreated from the platter. At least Prompto was happy. Gladio smiled and kissed the top of the blond's head.


	6. Kiss Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I go, trying something a little new to me again! The prompt is "Gods", and I took the opportunity to write a Bottom!Gladio fic, since I've never tried it before and there are so few of them. It ended up being a fun little scene to write. Hope you like it!
> 
> Chat with me on [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/). It's a fun place.

Gladio went about his daily life without much thought to the gods above. There wasn't time, really, to think about such things when life needed tending to. He knew the stories, of course, had heard them as a child – tales of the different deities of life, love, death, war, and all things in between. He had even heard tales of people meeting the gods along the road while they were in mortal form, but Gladio didn't have much care for the gossip. When the skies grew dark and stormy for weeks, however, people whispered that there was war among the heavens, and the gods were slaying each other. Gladio cared more about what the torrential downpours would do to his crops and herds. Life was hard enough as it was without flash flooding and lightning fires.

When a thundering crash echoed just outside his home, Gladio ran out into the storm to check on the animals. What he found was a person, splayed out on the ground, glowing softly. That couldn't be right. People didn't glow. Gladio knelt next to the man and could swear for just a moment the light was really a pair of wings sprouting from his back, but in a blink it was gone. He gathered up the limp man and brought him inside the small house, placing him on the bed. He was dressed in barely nothing, just a swath of white fabric wrapped around the thin frame, now sullied from the mud. Gladio cleaned him off as best he could and saw brilliant blond hair – such a rarity in these parts! – as well as pale, freckled skin. His breathing was shallow and uneven, and he looked as if he hadn't had a good meal in ages.

Gladio had been eating some stew when the crash came down, so he kept it warm on the coals for when the man awoke and piled animal skins on him. Gladio hoped he would wake up at all; he looked so frail and delicate that Gladio worried he wouldn't make it through the night. He didn't have a wound that Gladio could see, but he wondered if the stranger could be hurt internally. If the storm ever let up, then he would fetch a healer, but for now, he watched over this strange, beautiful man. Hours ticked by, and Gladio was loathe to admit he dozed off in a chair beside the bed, awoken only by a soft gasp and a musical voice whispering to him.

“Please...” the man struggled to say from beneath the pile of pelts, “kiss...” Gladio was up and fetching fresh water for the man before he thought over the words. 'Kiss'? He must have heard that wrong. Gladio helped up the weakened body and tipped water to his lips. The man drank, but could barely swallow any of it. “Please...” he repeated when Gladio pulled the water away, “kiss... me...”

“What?” Gladio's voice sounded so much gruffer in the darkened house than this man's sweet one. “Kiss you?”

“Please...” The man slid back into unconsciousness.

Gladio considered the request, finding it absurd. What could a kiss possibly do to save a sick man? He continued to care for the stranger over the next couple days, but the man's condition only worsened. He didn't regain lucidity, and what little food Gladio managed to get down his throat seemed to do nothing. He shivered no matter how many blankets and pelts Gladio piled on him, and his pale skin grew sallow with the pallor of death. Gladio had called in a healer, but the old woman could tell nothing wrong with him.

“His body is simply too weak,” she commented mildly, “He won't last much longer.”

Gladio mourned for him, this beautiful creature who appeared from the ether, and readied himself for the inevitable. As he sat at the bedside waiting, wondering if tonight would be the night, he thought again of the few words the man had spoken. Gladio supposed kissing him couldn't hurt. If it was the man's last wish, Gladio had something of a duty to fulfill it. He leaned over the small body and pressed their lips together.

A surprising warmth flowed through him at the touch. The man's lips were soft, his taste sweet to the point where Gladio wondered if he were even human. He felt the lips move against his, tasting him in return, and then arms wrapped around his head, shaking, but firmly holding them together. Gladio's mind began to blank out as the warmth filled him and he held the man in return. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, a blissful, unending lifetime of lips and tongue and saccharine pleasure. When the man released his grip on Gladio and pulled back, Gladio saw color had returned to his cheeks. 'His eyes are blue,' Gladio thought with amazement. Blue eyes were said to be the color of the gods. This stranger had to be more than he appeared.

“Thank you,” he said, voice light like a summer breeze, “Without you, I would be in the Underworld.”

“How? How can a kiss cure your illness?”

The man stroked his cheek and said, “Love cures all ills.”

“Who are you?”

“Call me Prompto,” the man said and embraced Gladio before whispering in his ear, “And what name may I call my savior?”

“Gladiolus,” Gladio replied, finding it harder to breathe with this brilliant man wrapped around him, “Gladio for short.”

“Ah, like the blossom. One of my favorites.” Prompto ran a slender hand down Gladio's chest, feeling his heartbeat. “Gladio, I believe the Fates brought me to you. Will you allow me to show you my gratitude?” His hand settled on the swelling member between Gladio's legs.

Gladio swallowed thickly, and a fog of lust settled over his mind. He managed to ask, “Who are you, truly?”

“The gods wage an awful war above us, one I want no part in. I have cast aside that aspect of myself until peace returns. Do you understand?”

“Prompto...” Gladio whispered, trying out the name on his tongue. It felt like a name he could call in the throes of passion. “I would bed you, but I worry for your well-being. You've been so ill...”

“I've been without a lover for too long. My energy became spent, but your love will restore it.” He ghosted lips across Gladio's brow, “Surely you would let me have you?”

Gladio was harder than he could ever remember being. Prompto smelled ambrosial, despite being bed-ridden for days. Somehow his beauty shone brighter than it had when they first met, and Gladio wanted him. He wanted to bring pleasure to that sweet body and see it shine with godly light. 'I would give myself to this man,' Gladio thought and unhooked the leather jerkin he wore. Prompto's light fingers moved deftly to assist. When he was exposed, Prompto let out a gasp of joy and began to trail kisses down Gladio's muscled chest.

“You're incredible,” Prompto murmured, taking one nipple into his mouth and sucking on it, swirling his tongue over the sensitive skin. Gladio groaned. Everywhere Prompto kissed felt like it had been touched with fire. Prompto pulled away and asked him, “Have you any oils?”

Catching his meaning, Gladio stood and brought over a jar of his best olive oil, placing it on the bedside table. Prompto nodded in approval. He reached for Gladio's pants and undid the ties, hungrily eyeing the outline of the man's cock beneath them. With those discarded, Gladio sat naked on the bed before Prompto, who appraised him with a pleased gleam in his eye.

“I have had many lovers,” said Prompto, his fingers moving up Gladio's thighs and toward his manhood, “but few have ever excited me the way I feel with you.” Gladio's heart pounded, and his throat dried. The blonde continued, “Will you let me have you?” His hands stopped just short of touching Gladio's cock.

Gladio couldn't think of anything he wanted more in his life. “You can have me,” Gladio said, brushing blond bangs away from blue eyes, “My love and my body are yours.”

A smile broke out across Prompto's face that made Gladio's heart ache with desire. They laid back on the bed and indulged in kissing for a while, Prompto rolling his hips against Gladio's broad body, and the larger man slipping his hands beneath the cloth that covered the blonde's backside, feeling the soft skin there and relishing its smoothness. Prompto kissed down Gladio's body, eventually reaching his cock and kissing it as well, before taking the entirety into his mouth and swallowing a few times. Gladio's back arched and fingers flew to grasp blond hair as those full lips worked up and down his shaft. Pleasure coursed through Gladio's body as Prompto lapped at the underside of his cock with a deft tongue and cupped his balls in one hand. He sucked and massaged until Gladio was at the edge, then the larger man felt a slim finger press to his hole, teasing the muscle there. Gladio choked out a warning, but the blonde stayed put, swallowing his cock down that thin throat once more and sending Gladio into bliss. Gladio came hard, exploding hot liquid inside Prompto, and the blonde just continued swallowing and working him with both hands, until not a drop was left. There was a soft, wet noise as Prompto pulled himself away from Gladio's spent cock and licked his lips.

The blonde was positively glowing now, radiant in the dim light of the house. Gladio panted and looked at him through cracked eyes, watching as Prompto disrobed entirely, his own cock springing free, hard and glistening with precum. He leaned over and captured Gladio's lips in his own, kissing him and stroking light touches all over his skin until he was hard once again. Gladio could barely believe it; he was clay in this man's hands, yielding and pliable, and he never wanted the moment to end. He had never been so at the mercy of another person before, and he thought distantly if Prompto wanted him every day like this, then he would give himself.

Prompto, meanwhile, reached to the jar of oil and dipped his fingers in. They came out glossy and smelling much sweeter than any olive oil Gladio had ever tasted. He had heard tales of the gods turning oils to ambrosia at the mere touch and thought they were silly at best, but seeing this creature before him, glowing and perfect, he knew the stories were all true. This was not a man, but a love god, come to him through some twist of fate, and Gladio knew his heart would lie with Prompto forever.

The blonde pressed a slick finger to Gladio's underside, slipping it in with more ease than the larger man expected. His body was so welcoming to Prompto, so open and relaxed, that soon Gladio could feel three fingers inside him, twisting and stretching, preparing him for what was to come. With his free hand, Prompto stroked Gladio's cock until it ached to come a second time. Gladio moaned and arched, unaccustomed to the lack of control he felt beneath Prompto. The blonde was nearly torturing him with pleasure, but all too soon those perfect fingers pulled free from his body. 

“Are you ready, my love?” Prompto whispered to him as he gathered more oil for his cock. 

“Never wanted anything more in my life,” Gladio replied, knowing it was true.

Prompto kissed him again while stroking his own dick, then lined up with Gladio's entrance. Gladio had never taken another man's cock before, but he felt at ease with Prompto, lust beating along with his heart, so he didn't bat an eye when the blonde lifted one of his legs and shouldered it. Prompto pushed in slowly, as if knowing exactly what Gladio needed, and the larger man moaned loudly at the stretch and the feeling of being fuller than he'd ever been. Prompto was well-endowed – a love god would be, Gladio supposed – but he moved with such care that Gladio never felt pain, only rapture. Prompto treated him like he was a precious vase or a figure made of blown glass, gentle and sure, his movements slow but purposeful. He rolled his hips into Gladio, and the man saw stars. The stories of gods copulating with mortals did this no justice. Without being told, Prompto knew just what to kiss, where to angle his thrust, and how to touch his partner. Gladio was so overwhelmed that he could barely reciprocate. He struggled to bring his mind back into their lovemaking and work to pleasure Prompto equally. The god seemed amused by his efforts, as if he was accustomed to mortals giving into the pleasure of his cock.

“Just enjoy it,” he murmured into Gladio's ear, “Let me take care of you.”

Never one to be outdone, Gladio replied, “Love requires more than one effort, doesn't it?”

Prompto laughed, and it sounded like wind blowing through chimes, “You're even greater than I thought. I wish I could have you at my side, Gladio.”

“I would be there, if I could,” Gladio replied, cupping the god's cheek in one hand. They kissed, and Prompto increased his speed. Gladio ran hands over Prompto's body as the blonde thrust faster and harder into him. Prompto stroked Gladio's cock at a quick pace as well, keeping his grip firm and playing with the tip. Gladio could no longer resist the pull of his orgasm as he felt his prostate fucked repeatedly. “Ahhh... Prompto!” he shouted as ecstasy took him, and he covered both their bodies in his seed. Still thrusting, Prompto brought a hand dripping with cum to his lips and sucked it clean, looking for all the world like he'd never tasted something so good.

Gladio watched in awe as the god fucked him to completion. First, the glow that had appeared on his skin brightened, until he was blazing and beautiful, almost too bright to look at. But Gladio couldn't bring himself to glance away from the sight, as Prompto thrust a few more times, shuddered, and arched backward to bury himself as deeply as he could. When he came, the light around him focused to his back, and Gladio saw ethereal wings burst forth, fully splayed and extended. He felt heat fill his body as the god's cum poured into him. After a few more shaky thrusts, Prompto let Gladio's leg drop and leaned over the man. The light around him faded back to the soft glow, and wings were gone as if they had never appeared in the first place. Prompto kissed Gladio deeply, loving him with more than just his body, and Gladio felt at peace. They slept side by side, intertwined after their rapture, and when Gladio awoke, Prompto was gone. A token was left on his pillow, though, one that never aged or wilted. It was a gladiolus flower, and Gladio treasured it for the rest of his days.


	7. Donatella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is "Fashion", and I've taken the opportunity to write a little songfic, for funsies. The song is ["Donatella"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLt761d20yI) by Lady Gaga. The story actually ended up being a little more serious than I intended it to be, go figure. Enjoy! ^.^
> 
> The [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/) thing.

Gladio was on duty all day today, watching over one of the premier celebrities of Eos, Prompto Argentum. The man had a slew of interviews, performances, and filming lined up for the day, and Gladio was awake even earlier than his usual five A.M. to prepare for it all. He knew exactly what it would entail, too, and as much as he appreciated the man, he was getting sick of listening to that same song played over and over at everything they attended. As they prepped backstage for the first morning interview, Gladio watching for any suspicious activity, he dreaded hearing the catchy tune. Prompto glanced at him from behind the wall of people who were dressing him and applying makeup and winked at Gladio. 'Dammit, he knows,' Gladio thought to himself. They had a good rapport, better than most celebrity/bodyguard relationships, but Gladio still hated to think that Prompto knew he disliked the blond's most popular song. It wasn't a matter of dislike, really, it was just that the song followed them everywhere, and even in his off hours, Gladio would hear it on the radio. It always got stuck in his head, and he was damn sick of it. Prompto seemed to find this amusing, but he was a lighthearted guy, on the outside, and took most things in stride. _It_ began to play, and Gladio exhaled out his nose, trying to stay focused on his work rather than listen to the few spoken lines at the opening. Prompto finished his own preparations and stood at the ready to stride onstage and begin the interview. The song played mercilessly as his introduction.

_I am so fab._  
_Check out:_  
_I'm blond,_  
_I'm skinny,_  
_I'm rich,_  
_and I'm a little bit of a bitch._

Prompto walked out confidently as the music picked up and waved to the audience, who more or less lost their collective minds. He twirled, showing off his latest fashion of choice – always something fantastic, always over the top – and then sat beside the show's host to begin the questions. Happily the song faded out after the first verse, but it was already enough to catch in Gladio's head, and the man knew he'd be singing it mentally all day. He heaved a sigh. It was going to be a long day.

_I wanna dress you up in silk taffeta._  
_Tailor these clothes to fit your guilt; what's your size?_  
_This purse can hold my black card and tiara._  
_Versace promises I will Dolce Vita._

After the interview, where it was all the usual talk – Prompto's start in Niflheim, where he gained enough popularity to move to Lucis and his flamboyant style really took off, when the new album was dropping, what his favorite designers had in store for the season, and whatever new projects he was performing in – they moved on to a series of photoshoots for a fashion magazine. Gladio sat beside Prompto in the black car that ferried them around as discreetly as possible, and the blond attempted to cajole Gladio into a few drinks.

“Prompto, you know I take my job seriously.”

“Which is why you need to loosen up a little,” Prompto sipped the champagne he had dangling from one hand.

“It isn't even noon!”

“This is my breakfast. It doesn't count if it has bubbles.”

Gladio sighed, but said nothing more. Truth was, he was concerned about the man's habits, but could do nothing to stop him. The bodyguard knew this life had to be stressful; he had seen it happen in past jobs, celebrities unable to handle the pressure and turning to liquor and drugs. He hadn't seen anything hard in Prompto's possession, but the man did drink more than he should, in Gladio's opinion.

The car pulled up to their next destination, and somehow, fans had already lined themselves up for pictures and autographs outside the studio. How these people still found them wherever they went was a mystery to Gladio, but part of his job was keeping Prompto moving throughout all of this, so he ushered the man out of the car, and they made their way down the path. Prompto kept stopping to sign things and high five strangers, and these moments were always the most tense for Gladio. It was unplanned, there was the chance the people could get too riled up and chaos could break out, or someone could be hiding in the crowd with a gun and ill intent. Gladio did his best to get Prompto inside to safety before anything could get out of control. And still, as they stepped inside, that damn song was playing as if to welcome them.

_What do you wanna wear this spring?_  
_What do you think is the new thing?_  
_What do you wanna wear this season?_  
_Donatella!_

Gladio groaned. The refrain was the catchiest part, and they had walked right on into it. Prompto laughed at him, knowing the source of his discomfort. They walked into the studio proper and were greeted by a bunch of – in Gladio's opinion, at least – sycophants. They bumbled and praised and lavished attention on Prompto, and the man took it all in stride, asking about the line up and the schedule. As he dressed and undressed and shot photo after photo, that damn song played in the background. Gladio even caught himself nodding along to it, to his frustration.

_Mi-Mi-Bella!_  
_All of the day_  
_I'm gonna smoke Marlboro Lights and drink champagne._  
_Donatella!_

Prompto was a natural with the camera, knowing just how to connect with it. “I'm not posing for a camera,” he told an interview once, “I'm posing for the people who look at the pictures.” Gladio knew the man had an eye, himself; he had even seen some of Prompto's personal photography, and he suspected part of his talent in front of the camera came from his expertise behind one. Prompto, however, never spoke about that aspect of his life to the public. Even superstars needed their secrets, it seemed, and when an interview asked him about hobbies, he never once brought up photography. Gladio found it special, then, that Prompto had shared that part of himself with the bodyguard. They had even taken pictures together, and Prompto had asked Gladio to pose for him in private. Gladio didn't mind, really, he just liked seeing the blond smile, so he always indulged the man. It was after their first session of photos together that their relationship became truly intimate.

_'Cause she walks so bad, like it feels so good._  
_Listen to her radiate her magic,_  
_even though she knows she's misunderstood._  
_Voodoo, voodoo, voo-don-na-na!_

After the shoot finished, they were already halfway through the day, and the next stop was a runway show. Prompto ate a small meal in the car on the way there. Gladio ate along with him, knowing it helped the blond to have someone to share food with. Like most modern celebrities, Prompto had a bit of a complex about his body, another thing that set Gladio to worrying. Prompto was thin, with muscles that showed mostly due to his lack of body fat than any hard workout routine. They had spoken before about Prompto's childhood, and the man admitted to Gladio that he had been fat growing up, and it still haunted him. Gladio encouraged Prompto to eat more on a regular basis, but rarely was successful. However, when the blond passed out during a filming day and had to be hospitalized for a week, he finally started taking in more nutrients, though often they came in the form of supplements and smoothies rather than solid food. Gladio wished Prompto would get help, but an eating disorder wouldn't be good for his reputation, so Prompto kept that bundled inside, too. Gladio sighed as Prompto put his half-finished salad aside and poured another drink.

“What, still got that song in your head?” Prompto asked him, trying to divert the conversation.

“ _You're_ in my head,” Gladio replied and chanced a brush of his fingers over the man's leg. Prompto tensed, but didn't pull away. They walked a precarious path, and Gladio knew Prompto worried any news of how close he had gotten to his bodyguard would leak, and he would face controversy. Gladio withdrew his hand, but said, “You should finish that. It's healthy.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Prompto picked the food back up after taking a swallow from his drink and poked at it. They arrived at the next stop in silence.

The usual song played as Prompto performed on the runway in front of thousands. Gladio kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, but it was a successful event, and no one even swarmed Prompto when they entered or left. Gladio thought Prompto looked a little relieved that he could have some more peace after the show.

_Walk down the runway, but don't puke._  
_It's okay._  
_You just had a salad today, Boulangerie._  
_Just ask your gay friends their advice_  
_before you_  
_get a spray tan on holiday in Taipei._

They had one last event to film before Prompto could return to his high-rise apartment in Insomnia. He was performing on a television show as a style consultant, and despite the tired look in his eyes as they loaded back into the car, he smiled at Gladio as if saying to him 'almost done'. Gladio smiled back and resisted the urge to comfort the obviously exhausted man. 'He'll burn himself out before twenty-five,' Gladio thought, wishing he could do more than just watch the blond's back. Prompto, like clockwork, poured himself another drink.

__

“Why not some water?” Gladio offered, removing a bottle from the mini-fridge. “You need to hydrate.”

To his surprise, Prompto actually took him up on the offer and swapped his drink for the bottle. “For you,” he said as he toasted Gladio and drank deeply from the bottle. Gladio smiled then.

_What do you wanna wear this spring?_  
_What do you think is the new thing?_  
_What do you wanna wear this season?_  
_Donatella!_

They arrived at the shoot location and Prompto immediately jumped into gear. Gladio couldn't believe the energy he could have, when the situation called for it. He had seen Prompto exhausted, held him as he cried over his whirlwind life, and knew most of this was a farce, though it was an impressive one. Prompto bounced from spot to spot, performing his duty in every sense of the word. Gladio hummed that familiar tune as he stood on lookout, waiting through the next few hours of work with that damn song stuck in his head.

_Mi-Mi-Bella!_  
_All of the day_  
_I'm gonna smoke Marlboro Lights and drink champagne._  
_Donatella!_

At least Prompto didn't have recording to do today. After all this, his voice would probably be shot. He did have a tour coming up in two months, though, and Gladio worried that the blond wouldn't have the strength to see it though. They completed their stop at the show filming, and Prompto all but collapsed into the car after blowing a good-bye kiss to the crowd of fans that had gathered. The windows were tinted, and the partition to the driver was up, and that was all Prompto needed to know before scooting over to Gladio's side and leaning on him. Gladio wrapped a strong arm around Prompto's too-slim body and kept him close as he dozed for their ride back to the apartment. It was already after ten P.M. Tomorrow was another day with a similar schedule, and this nap was some of the best sleep Prompto would get for the week. Gladio just held him and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

_'Cause she walks so bad, like it feels so good._  
_Listen to her radiate her magic,_  
_even though she knows she's misunderstood._  
_Voodoo, voodoo, voo-don-na-na!_

When they at last made it to the apartment, Prompto woke himself up enough to get inside without looking like a wreck. Gladio followed him all the way to the penthouse, where he swept the area before letting Prompto go in.

“Stay with me,” Prompto asked, knowing Gladio would never refuse him. These moments made it all worthwhile – the soft pauses of privacy and quiet from the storm of media and entertainment. Gladio gathered the blond in his arms and carried him into the bedroom. They kissed, indulging at last in their desire for each other. Gladio helped Prompto undress and caught himself mentally singing that song again. He shook his head and sighed, trying to dislodge it. “Something the matter?” Prompto looked concerned, like he had done something wrong. Gladio sprang to comfort him.

“No, Prom, it's just that song is still in my head.”

Prompto giggled then, a relief to hear. “Sorry. I can't be upset for you. That song made me famous.”

“Write something new,” Gladio said, “So I can have a different nuisance stuck in my head.”

_Check it out, take it in._  
_Who's that bitch; she's so thin._  
_She's so rich and so blond._  
_She's so fab, it's beyond._

They kissed again, words softened by their affection, and Gladio pulled his own clothes off. Even as they fell back onto the bed, the song played mercilessly in Gladio's head. He shoved it out of the way as he kissed and sucked at pale, freckled skin. He worried about Prompto a lot, but in these moments, all there was to have was pleasure and comfort.

_What do you wanna wear this spring?_

Hot mouths all over hot bodies. Hardening cocks that dripped precum as they felt each other up.

_What do you think is the new thing?_

Prompto moaning and clutching Gladio for support as the larger man sucked him off. Fingers groping at the most sensitive and private areas.

_What do you wanna wear this season?_

Gladio fucked Prompto into the bed, fast and hard, as they both moaned the other's name. The intimacy of it felt divine. All day they spent at a distance, keeping up appearances, but now they could truly have each other. Gladio could keep up the act for as long as Prompto wanted, but deep inside he hoped Prompto would leave it all, the fame, the fortune, the doting fans, and just live a quiet life with him. He fantasized about the day when Prompto retired and fell into his arms for good. Until then, they would have these moments of pause between the demands of Prompto's lifestyle. It would have to be enough. Gladio kissed Prompto hungrily, and Prompto kissed back. It would have to be enough.

_'Cause she walks so bad, like it feels so good._  
_Listen to her radiate her magic,_  
_even though she knows she's misunderstood._  
_Voodoo, voodoo, voo-don-na-na!_


	8. An Interesting Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a thing I've written that cannot be unwritten. I make no apologies, but I do warn you if you're not into tentacle/monster porn, then click away, because that's all this one shot is. The prompt is "Body Swap", and I've already written something of a promptio body swap fic in my story ["Timelines"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10929288/chapters/24311085), so I wanted to do something completely different. I think this qualifies lmao.
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/), in case you're interested.

Today was interesting, to say the least. Prompto and Gladiolus were currently hanging out at the edge of some ruins while Noctis and Ignis chased after Gladio's body. Yeah, it was definitely one of the weirder days they had had since their journey began. It started normally enough, just a hunt to clear out some Mindflayers, but in the midst of battle something strange took place. As far as they could ascertain, some spell the last Mindflayer cast had misfired while it had a grip on Gladio, and the two ended up swapping bodies. So that was how Prompto found himself sitting beside a Mindflayer an chatting to him as though they had been dating for a year, which he supposed they had had since the Mindflayer was really Gladio. Meanwhile, Gladio's body took off into the woods in a panic, stumbling and shouting. It would have been a funny sight if Prompto wasn't so worried. As soon as Noctis and Ignis managed to catch the fleeing man/monster they would bring him back and administer Remedies to both parties, hoping that would be enough to reverse the effects.

So now they waited, and Prompto wanted so much to comfort his boyfriend that he leaned over and hugged his now tentacled and slightly slimy form. Gladio turned his head – Prompto felt a tentacle brush his cheek – and hesitantly returned the embrace. Mindflayers had arms, after all, though their lower halves were all suction cupped and sinewy. Prompto felt the appendages slide over his legs almost as though they were attuned to gripping whatever they came into contact with, and he gasped at the feeling. Gladio withdrew and hunched his shoulders as if apologetic, and Prompto shook his head and said, “Everything will be all right. They'll find your body, and this will all get fixed.” Gladio brushed a hand over Prompto's cheek. His touch was cold, but Prompto appreciated the sentiment anyway. After a moment, Prompto got up the courage to ask, “Can I touch them? The, uh, tentacles?” They had left a glistening ooze on his pants when they contacted earlier, and Prompto was curious how they would feel on his skin. Gladio shrugged and made an open gesture.

They were slick and muscled and wrapped around Prompto's hand as soon as he reached for one. Prompto gasped again at the touch and shivered. It reminded him of some of the porn he'd watched back home. Okay, so it reminded him of a lot of the porn he'd watched. People put a lot of time into drawing tentacle porn, and Prompto was simply a connoisseur of the arts. If he jacked off to it regularly it really made no difference. He had even shared a little of it with Gladio, when the man had pushed to learn more about Prompto's kinks. It was embarrassing, but Gladio never judged him, only asked if there was a toy or something they could get that would be fun for him in bed. Prompto blushed hotly now, thinking about that. Gladio seemed to have the same train of thought, because he reached down with one of the mouth tentacles and tilted Prompto's face up to meet his eyes, and Prompto thought his mind could melt just from the embarrassment. The fact that he was now rock hard beneath his pants was enough.

Breathing heavily, Prompto nodded. He wanted this, no matter how shameful it felt. That was part of the thrill, after all, and when Gladio moved closer and Prompto felt those thick tentacles wrap around him, he couldn't conceal a moan. Gladio found that if he concentrated he could move the appendages as if they were his own arms, and he used them to pull off Prompto's clothing, piece by piece. Prompto moaned and struggled against the undressing, pretending to resist, but knowing if he wanted it to stop all he needed was their safety word. This was another part of the thrill, he thought as tentacles entwined his legs and smoothly pulled away the pants from his body. His arms were bound up in the tentacles coming from Gladio's face, dangling him, while another set from below groped his chest and stomach. With the last of his clothes gone, his cock was free to the world to show just how much he was enjoying himself. It dripped with precum and soon felt the slickness of a tentacle wrap around it and squeeze. Prompto nearly came right then. He opened his mouth and threw back his head, eyes rolling up, and let out a long, lewd moan. It was choked off when he felt another tentacle slip in between his lips.

Gladio was amazed at how much his boyfriend was getting off on this. He knew Prompto was into this stuff, but damn, the blond's whole body was quivering, and he'd never heard Prompto make a sound like that before. He decided to push it a little further. Using the tentacles secured around each of Prompto's legs, he spread them and felt his way up one thigh with another tentacle. The one around Prompto's cock undulated and flexed, working the blond carefully, while the smaller one in his mouth swirled around and tested his gag reflex. Prompto twisted in Gladio's grip, groaning around the appendage in his throat, and he shuddered when he felt the creeping tentacle up his thigh come into contact with his ass. It was flexible and stroked Prompto's underside easily before pressing ever so lightly to the blond's hole. 'This is actually happening,' Prompto thought, drool dripping down his chin, 'Oh, fuck.' He'd have to give Gladio the best blowjob of the man's life later to reward him for this one.

Then all the thoughts exploded out of Prompto's head as the tentacle pressed past the ring of muscle and into his body. It was slick and thin at the tip, and it went in smoothly – Prompto was accustomed to Gladio's cock, after all, which was a sizable thing indeed – and the way it wiggled inside him felt divine. As it pressed deeper, his hole began to stretch to something wider than he had been expecting, and he moaned into the tentacle he had been sucking unashamedly on. It was like being fucked by a cock, but the way it wiggled and rippled inside him was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Meanwhile his own dick was nearly being tortured by the tentacle around it, milking out his precum with every slither. He was suspended, helpless, and so aroused he thought he might cum before he wanted. This was his one chance to do this, and he wished he could make it last.

Gladio pushed the tentacle into Prompto's ass as deep as he dared, stretching Prompto more than he ever had in the past. He wiggled around inside and pushed against Prompto's soft walls, stimulating his prostate mercilessly. When he was ready to change it up, he slid the tentacle out and back in again, fucking Prompto slowly. He used the grip on the blond's wrists and torso to move him up and down against the tentacle at the same time, and Prompto writhed in pleasure. He was moaning loud enough to be heard past the appendage in his mouth, so Gladio stuffed him with two more. He knew the blond liked to be filled, so this should do just the trick.

All too soon, Prompto felt his orgasm build in his gut. He was being fucked midair by a set of slick monster appendages, and he was loving every second of it. Gladio seemed to know just what he wanted and how to administer it to his body. It was his perfect fantasy. Prompto shook and thrust as best he could against the tentacles; they were all over him, holding him firmly and manipulating his body to take what they wanted. The one in his ass wiggled and pressed as it fucked him, touching him in ways he'd never thought possible. The one around his dick squeezed and pumped him, daring him to let go and shoot his load all over its already glistening skin. The ones in his mouth played with his tongue and throat, fucking him from the top, using him in a way that he'd have wet dreams about for years to come. At last, it was too much to bear, and Prompto shouted as cum sprayed from him in a series of spurts, thick and long, and the tentacles milked him for every bit. When Prompto could handle no more, he went limp in Gladio's grasp, and the man in a monster's body carefully set him down on the ground, pulling away and leaving Prompto sticky and spent.

Prompto caught his breath and looked up to his boyfriend through hazy, half-open eyes. “That was incredible,” he panted. There was a weird taste in his mouth, and every part of him felt used, but it truly was in the best way possible. He would get dressed in a minute and continue their wait for the others to return, but for now he just took time to breathe and savor the afterglow. Yes, today was an interesting day, indeed.


	9. Don't Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of more sorry for this fic than the previous one. The prompt is "Memento", and this is angsty and total sadfic. Partially inspired by the movie "Memento", actually. Don't expect good feelings on this one.
> 
> Yell at me for writing these prompts over on [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/).

When I was twenty, I went on an epic road trip with my best friends. I remember this, easily; I remember the camping and the car rides, and the battles we fought alongside each other. I also remember losing Noctis to the Crystal and the darkness that fell over our world soon after. I remember years of nighttime and fighting; I remember losing the only two comrades I had left as we went our separate ways. Now I live in the dark, hunting daemons to keep them at bay long enough for my best friend to return and bring back the light. Gladio and Ignis hunt, too, but we're never together anymore. I miss them, but I have my photos and I have my memories. Every day is the same: some sleep, gear up, fight daemons, eat scraps, and repeat. But I have to hope that it'll be over soon. Without hope, we would all be lost. I'll see them all again, I tell myself everyday, and we'll be happy together like in my memories.

I wake up, same as always, in a dark bedroom inside Hammerhead. I switch on the lamp at the bedside table and blink the sleep away. The room is cramped, but there are pictures tacked to the walls to cheer me up, photos I took during the happier days. All of us younger, smiling in the light. Out of habit, I open the drawer next to me and pull out another photo, a secret one, just me and Gladio. We both look so happy in it, and I remember our nights together when we were alone, kissing, laughing, making love. The darkness swallowed that along with the rest of Eos. I stand and stretch, feeling the ache in my body from all the fighting. I dress and run hands through my hair in lieu of a brush. There are no mirrors in here, anyway, and nobody much cares what you look like when we could all die at any time. It'll be another day of the same, I suppose, and I leave my room and head up the flight of stairs to the outside world.

The light nearly blinds me as I step outside. Not the floodlights keeping Hammerhead safe, but the real, true sun is shining down like it has since I was a kid. Does this mean Noctis is back?! My head pounds, and I sway in place trying to get my bearings. Hammerhead looks very much the same, dusty and overrun with cars. Except that wasn't right, either. It should be stacked with boxes of weapons, ammunition, and supplies. There should be hunters exchanging information and stopping for a meal and a rest at Takka's. This place... am I not in Hammerhead? My mind reels from the incongruity.

“Prompto! Hey!” A voice calls out as someone runs over to me. He stops and catches my arm, looking concerned, “How's it going today? You all right?”

I squint at him; his face is older, but his voice is familiar, and I can't help but guess, “Talcott?”

He smiles, kindly, like the guy I remember, and says, “You betcha. How are you holding up?”

“What's going on? Is Noctis back?”

Is that sadness in his eyes? And when did he grow a mustache? I blink and shake my head. “Did you see the picture today?” he asks me, and I have no clue what he's talking about.

“Talcott, man, I'm gonna freak out a little if you don't tell me what's going on soon.”

“Let's go inside,” he takes me by the arm and leads me back to my little basement room.

Everything is just how I left it, except how it isn't. The pictures on the walls are all gone; replaced by notes, pages and pages of notes. What the fuck? I walk to one and squint at it. It's my handwriting.

'Prompto – take a look in the mirror. Don't forget.'

and the one beneath that,

'Prompto – remember the fight with Ardyn. Don't forget.'

Over and over again, I see those two words, 'Don't forget'. What have I forgotten? Tears sting my eyes as a sense of panic strikes me hard in the chest. “Talcott, please, I don't understand. Where's Noctis? And Ignis? Where's Gladio, Talcott, where the fuck is Gladio?!”

A gentle hand on my shoulder, “Hey, just breathe. It'll be okay. Look in the mirror when you're ready.”

What mirror? I never kept – but there it is. In the corner sits a mirror, reflecting us both like it had been watching the whole time. Had it? I walk over to look at myself.

Wrong. Everything's wrong. My face, my body, none of it looks like me. The stubble I was in the process of growing out is a beard now, and there are wrinkles at my eyes, mouth, and forehead. Last night, I was in my twenties. What the hell age am I now? There's something else, too. On my arm, a picture catches my eye. I turn to get a better look at it. It's a bundle of flowers and beneath them, the words 'Don't forget'. I feel sick.

“Here.” Talcott goes to the drawer beside my bed and pulls out the picture of me and Gladio. How does he know about that? He hands it to me.

Except it isn't me and Gladio, smiling, in our twenties. It's me, Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis, all at Hammerhead, looking older than in any of my roadtrip photos. Noctis has a stubbly beard and is dressed in king's garb. We look grim, but are forcing smiles for the camera anyway. I feel like I'm looking at ghosts. I have no memory of ever taking this picture.

“Turn it over,” Talcott's voice is soft, pitying, and I do as he says. Written in my handwriting are the words, 'the final night'. I swallow hard.

“What does this mean?” I croak out, feeling dread and tears well up inside me.

“You were injured,” Talcott says in that same soft voice, “You went out on a hunt and didn't come back. We found you almost dead, curled up in a lean-to. You suffered brain damage. I'm sorry, Prompto, but you don't remember the dawn returning because you can't make new memories. It's been over twenty years since Noctis ended the scourge. Since -” his voice cuts off there, and he wipes at his eyes, “Shit, this never gets any easier.”

“Twenty... years? Where is everyone? Why do I still live here?”

“Prompto, I'm so sorry. They're gone. The world is rebuilt, but I stayed here to take care of you with Cindy. We just want you to be happy.”

“How can I be happy without them? Without Gladio? I... We... love each other, Talcott. We have plans. When the light comes back, we're going to be happy. Why isn't he here?”

Talcott chews on his lip and says, “He can't be. You got the tattoo for him. I know you don't remember, but you got it so you could try.”

I look again at the tattoo and realize the flowers are gladioli. 'Don't forget' it reads, almost mocking me. This whole thing feels like a prank, some surreal joke, and the guys will just pop out of hiding and declare me too gullible. I look around the room again, at the notes piled up, some of them diary entries, some of them simple reminders. I miss the photos that used to line the walls instead.

“Talcott, what are you telling me?” I try to keep my voice steady.

“He's gone. All three of them are. They... died... fighting to bring the light back.”

I don't know what else to do, so I sit down on the bed and stare at my hands and the picture grasped in them. Gone. Dead. For how many years? Twenty? Thirty, nearly? And I've gone on, day after day, holding on to the hope that I would see them again, live a happy life with Gladio? Tears blur my vision, and I wonder how endlessly hopeless this must all be.

“Leave me,” I choke out, “I want to be alone.”

Talcott hesitates, but nods and walks to the door, pausing, he says, “When you're ready, we've got breakfast upstairs. The kids would love to see you.”

I don't even bother to ask him what that means. He leaves without saying anything else. I stare at the photo in my hands, at the notes lining the walls, and try to remember. Nothing comes to me.

But I do remember a road trip with the most important people in my life. I remember smiles and laughter and campfires and great food. Those were the things that mattered. My life was with them, with Gladio most of all. I remember love and sex and soft kisses stolen when no one was looking. My hands shake. Would this be my life forever? An endless cycle of forgetting? No. I could live in those times, remember those days. I try to summon my gun, but nothing happens. Of course. Noctis is gone now, and with him, so are my weapons. I wonder how many times I've tried that as well.

I sit in silence and look back at the tattoo on my arm. Gladio was gone, but he would want me to go on, I know that much. With this mark to remember him by, I could stay strong. I have to live in a world without him, but I won't forget. There would always be the good times, locked securely in my mind. I look at the picture again and blink. It's a picture of me and Gladio, smiling and young, with the rest of our lives ahead of us. I look around the room and see photos of our trip together, all those days of happiness documented in snapshots.

I put the picture away in the drawer by my bed and stand up to stretch. My body aches from all the constant fights with daemons, but I hold out the hope that Noctis will be back soon and with him will come the light. Gladio and I have a life to live together, once the dawn returns. No matter how dark it gets, I'll always have that to look forward to.


	10. Statement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is "Band AU", and here's a warning that there's a bit of violence and homophobic language in this, though I kept it quick. Not much else for me to say about this ficlet. Hope you like it!
> 
> My usual link to [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/), if you're interested.

“You wanna tell me what this is about?” A newspaper flopped onto the table where Prompto, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis were having breakfast. Cor stood over them with his arms crossed, looking peeved. The four leaned in to see what the fuss was about, only to see the headline 'Chocoblitz Confidential Kiss' and a picture of Prompto and Gladio gripping each other and making out behind what appeared to be the Hammerhead garage.

“Ah, shit,” Prompto said, following it up with, “That's a terrible headline. They ruined the alliteration.”

“This isn't a joke, Prompto,” Cor said in a tight voice. “What the hell were you two thinking?”

“We weren't,” Gladio replied, “We were drunk.”

Cor looked like he could strangle them, but took a deep breath and said, “We have to explain this to the press. Your fans aren't going to like it.”

“I don't know, have you been on the Internet? Chicks really dig gay guys.”

Cor ground his teeth, “I don't understand why you aren't taking this seriously. As your manager-”

“Because we're sick of hiding it, Cor!” Prompto burst out, “The band is doing great; there's no way something like this will fuck it up.”

Cor pinched the bridge of his nose, “You don't understand the media the way I do. This will spin out of control if we don't make a statement.”

“And what? Just deny it? Sweep it under the rug forever? I'm tired, Cor, I don't want to do that shit.” Prompto was standing now, looking irate and exhausted. They had been up partying after the show last night into the morning, and he was still a little hungover. He didn't need this right now.

Their band, Chocoblitz, had started small, just open mic gigs and the occasional paid spot, but over the years they had built themselves up to be one of the biggest bands in Eos, and they were currently on the Lucian leg of their latest tour. They had a final concert in Insomnia in two days, having just finished a set at the Hammerhead garage, where they had played on the roof to a hoard of people below. The group had drank heavily afterward in celebration, and Prompto and Gladio snuck out behind the garage to catch some air and a little tongue. Paparazzi must have been hanging around and snapped the shot.

“Listen, Prompto, people aren't going to just accept you two the way we do. There's a lot of prejudice out there, and you could even get banned from playing in Niflheim. They don't fuck around.”

“Then fuck them!” Prompto shouted, fed up with having this thrown in his face. He didn't need it, and he didn't want to think about it. He pushed past Cor and stomped out of the tour bus to get some air. Cor called after him, but Prompto didn't bother replying. Truth was, he felt a little guilty for being so sloppy. He and Gladio had been careful for years, and one drunken night was going to do them in. It wasn't fair.

Inside the bus, Ignis commented, “That could have gone better.”

“Sorry, guys,” Gladio said with a sigh, “We didn't mean-”

“Don't worry about it,” Noctis cut in, “We'll all deal with it. We support you first, you know that.”

Gladio gave him a grateful look before addressing Cor, “I think we should wait to see what happens. Maybe it'll blow over.”

Cor tsked but said nothing else. They had to wait for Prompto to finish cooling off first anyway. They ate the rest of breakfast, and when Prompto still hadn't returned, Gladio left the bus to check on him.

After he stormed out, Prompto walked straight to the shop next to the garage. He knew he shouldn't, but he desperately wanted a cigarette. His head throbbed, his throat was dried out, and he just wanted to chill out for a minute. He ended up buying a bottle of water instead, thinking Gladio would know he had broken his promise to stop smoking and not being able to handle the image of his disappointed face. He couldn't let everyone down twice in one day. After the purchase, he walked around to the side of the building to grab a little shade from the desert sun and stew on what to do next. A voice pulled him out of his reverie.

“Well, lookie here! It's the band boy himself!”

Prompto glanced up to see three guys approaching him. They were smiling, but Prompto felt an uneasiness in his gut. “Hey,” he said in a casual voice, “I'm just grabbing some shade. Were you at the concert last night?”

“Oh, we heard ya all right. Don't think a soul for miles could block that noise out.”

Prompto grimaced and tried to laugh it off, “Yeah, well, the acoustics are a lot different outside than in a hall. Can I help you guys? You, uh, want an autograph, or something?”

The man's smile stayed frozen on his face, “Somethin' like that. Saw a little article in the paper this mornin'. I hear you got a thing for suckin' dick.”

Prompto felt color rise in his face. No fucking way was this happening right now. “Look,” he said, tone serious, “That article is bullshit. Gladio and I-”

“That picture looked purty clear to me,” the man drawled, “You're a cocksucker.” One of the men next to him snickered. They had been inching closer to Prompto while talking, and the blond found himself backed into a wall.

“What do you want from me, huh?” Prompto asked, voice rising, “My friends are around the corner. I don't think you want to fuck with me.”

“Naw,” said the man, cracking the knuckles of one hand, “Just wanna see if you really do suck cock like they say.”

The fear in Prompto's gut built into a full-blown terror, and he opened his mouth to shout, only to be hit in the side of the face hard enough to lose balance and go down, head spinning. The half-empty water bottle splashed and rolled away. He watched it in a daze, and the moment felt so surreal that for a second he thought he must be dreaming. A hand took a fistful of his hair and dragged him forward. He scrabbled at the grip, got out one shout, and felt another blow strike him when one of the men kicked him in the gut. Breathless now, he reeled and went limp. Hands grabbed his shoulders and held him up; another pair caught his face and tugged it to look at the man, who was saying something Prompto couldn't understand through the ringing in his ears. Prompto moaned and gasped for air, which was apparently the wrong thing to do because he was struck across the face again.

Then he heard another shout, farther away, but familiar, and the hands holding him up disappeared. He fell over onto the hot concrete, eyes cracked enough to see a scuffle of feet. A fight had broken out between the men and someone else, and Prompto's head spun too wildly to see who it was. All he saw was feet kicking up dust and heard shouts and grunts while punches flew. A snap, followed by a scream, and then the men were running, fleeing the scene. One pair of feet remained.

Prompto caught his breath as best he could and felt his body lifted. His head lurched for a moment, but he got his bearings and said, voice thick, “You can put me down. I'll walk.”

“Fuck, Prom, they beat the shit out of you. Like hell you're walking.”

“Gladio, I'm okay. It was just a couple hits. I can walk. Let me have some dignity, at least.”

Gladio sighed, but acquiesced, and gently set Prompto on his feet, but kept an arm around him. Together, they returned to the tour bus.

“Astrals, what the fuck happened?” Noctis caught sight of them first, Prompto's face already bruising and puffy. Gladio had a split lip and a cut on his forehead, but came out of the bout relatively unscathed.

“Bad morning,” Prompto said through a swollen mouth. Gladio helped him to the couch. Ignis had already gone to the icebox to fetch a cold pack and returned with it wrapped in a towel. Cor entered from the front of the bus and gaped at them.

“How bad is it?”

“I'm fine,” Prompto tried to wave them off, “Just some assholes looking for a fight.”

“Looks like they found it.”

“Gladio took care of them.” Prompto didn't mention anything they had said or what they were really trying to do. No need to exacerbate the situation. “I'll be good for the show at the Citadel; don't worry.”

“We weren't worried about the show, Prom,” Noctis said, touching his shoulder, “We're worried about you.”

Prompto looked up at them all, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes, “Sorry. I really fucked up. What should we do?”

“We deal with it together. We're a team.” Everyone nodded, and they discussed their plans.

~

The band laid low for two days. No need to make a statement to the press just yet. Let them run their tabloids; they had one show in the tour left, and they were going to give it their best. Prompto healed up enough to cover what was left of the bruising with makeup, and they never heard anything from the men at Hammerhead, so they considered that dealt with. All that was left was to knock their show out and see if it all blew over.

Prompto stood at the mic, before a screaming crowd of thousands. There had been some protesters outside their venue when they arrived, but the fans still loved them, it seemed. Prompto felt a courage build in his chest at the sound of their cries, and he remembered the assholes who attacked him by the garage. People like that would always exist, he realized as he gave the band's usual introduction. Some people would always look down on him for who he was, no matter what he did. Why not embrace it?

“Hey, before we begin for you guys, I'd like to say something,” Prompto started. The others looked at him like he had gone crazy. Cor would eat him alive for this, but Prompto didn't care. “There's been a picture going around lately of me and Gladio-” someone in the audience wolf whistled at that, and there were a few unintelligible shouts, “Well, this is what I have to say about that shit.”

Prompto strode over to Gladio, who was holding his bass guitar and looking uncertain at the blond. But Prompto was cool and confident; this was the right thing to do, dammit, and he would make his stand right here and now. He grabbed Gladio's shoulders and leaned up on his tip toes to kiss the man in front of the world. He let it linger, just to drive his point home, then he returned to the mic. The crowd was a roiling mess of shouts and cheers.

“Now, can we just get on with it and play some fucking music?” Prompto practically yelled into the microphone. The fans went wild. Noctis shook his head, but laughed. Ignis clicked the drumsticks together, and they launched into their first song.

'There,' Prompto thought smugly as he sang along with Noctis, 'How's that for a statement?' He hoped the assholes of the world were watching and knew he wouldn't live his life afraid of them. It was the most satisfying concert of his career.


	11. New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had to do one Omegaverse fic. It was inevitable. And the prompt is "Family", so it came naturally, lol. Some referenced Mpreg in this one, but it's all post pregnancy. Enjoy the fluff!
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/)

Gladio knocked softly on the door before entering. He made sure his scent was mellow and calming, then peeked in on his mate and their newborn. The smell of the room was nearly intoxicating in its sweetness – Prompto's scent had become so strong in the past few months, and coupled with the smell of new life, it made Gladio feel lightheaded and cozy. He could see the Omega laying on the bed, though he was nearly hidden among all the pillows he nested in. He was curled up around a much smaller form that Gladio could only see when he got closer. His heart rose as he walked over to them, Omega and pup, nuzzling amid the blankets and pillows. Prompto was cooing gently, lulling the little one to sleep while scenting her. It had been a week since the birth, and Prompto was still recovering, strictly on bed rest. He didn't seem to want to leave the nest anyway, so that was fine, but Gladio worried that the blond wasn't sleeping or eating enough. As he approached them, holding a tray of food Ignis had specially prepared, he could see the lines of exhaustion under Prompto's eyes, but they were softened by the smile on his face as he looked at their pup in adoration.

“Hey,” Gladio said in the softest voice he could manage. The babe was sleeping, and Gladio knew the slightest sound or change in scent could awaken her.

Prompto tore his eyes away from their child to look at Gladio. He smiled and reached with one arm to touch Gladio's hand in greeting. Then he turned back to his watch duty. Gladio sat beside them for a minute before saying anything more, in awe of the life they had created. She was tiny, so small that they had worried she would fall ill or be too weak to feed. She proved the doctor wrong, though, and stayed strong beside her parents and their pack. Prompto kept a nearly constant watch over her, at first out of sheer terror that she wouldn't make it through a night, but now Gladio thought it was time for the Omega to take a rest.

“Iggy made you this,” he said to his mate, offering the food, “We all think you need to eat and get some sleep.”

“'M fine.” Prompto said in an undeniably sleepy voice.

“Prom,” Gladio spoke, attempting to keep his tone soft and even, “You're gonna make yourself sick. Please eat something.”

“Lily needs me,” Prompto said, touching his nose to hers and curling a little bit closer.

Gladio rubbed Prompto's back and said, “I'm here, too, you know. And so're Ignis and Noct. You have to take care of yourself. Try to eat and sleep a little. I'll stay up until you've gotten enough rest. Nothing bad will happen, I promise.”

Prompto looked at Gladio, and the Alpha could see his mate was holding back tears. “I thought we'd lose her, Gladio. What if-”

“No 'what ifs'.” Gladio interrupted, “She's strong. And we have a great packbond. You can rely on us, you know.”

Prompto acquiesced and shifted carefully into a sitting position. He looked pained to move away from his pup. Gladio passed the tray of food to him and laid down among the pillows on Lily's other side, so he could watch them both. Prompto picked at the food, eating what he could. His appetite had been poor for months now, and it seemed his stomach still wasn't ready to except much in it. But he did his best, to please Gladio mostly, and got down what he could. When finished, he set the tray aside and resumed his protective position. Now they had their babe sleeping between them, and Gladio reached over to brush Prompto's cheek.

“Everything is fine,” he whispered to his mate, “I'm here.”

Prompto's eyes fluttered closed, and though he fought it, sleep claimed him eventually. Gladio watched the two sleep for hours, only once having to soothe Lily back to bed with his scent and a soft purr. Prompto didn't stir at all, just breathed deep and evenly. As he watched over them, Gladio knew this was the happiest he had ever felt in his life, and he smiled. 'Everything is fine,' he promised again, this time silently, 'I'll always be here.'


	12. Sonnet I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my attempt at poetry for the prompt "First(s)". It's a little bit meta, since this is my first poem, but it's also about love at first sight. It's a Shakespearean Sonnet, and apologies if the meter isn't exactly perfect iambic pentameter; I think I got it down, but there may be some mistakes. Definitely a fun experiment for me, and I may attempt more poetry in the future, if the muse so strikes. It's funny how something that short could take so many hours of work to craft. My head was spinning by the end of it. This is my shortest entry into the prompt week, but it's also one of my favorites, just because it was something so different for me to try. I hope it tells its story well enough. ^.^; Please enjoy!
> 
> Chat with me on [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/)! :)

The day when love did form between these two -  
One blond of hair, with camera at his side,  
One scruffed and scarred, his spirit tried and true -  
A normal dawn; their fates had gone belied.

They ran apart, much like their life before,  
But paths they crossed at last, and eyes connect.  
They greet the other, smiling but unsure,  
And both their voices' tone did awe inflect.

Their first encounter left them pounding hearts.  
For love, it seemed, was blooming strong and fast.  
They met again, fulfilling both their parts,  
And fate, unstoppable, left all surpassed.

And then they shared in whisper what was clear:  
“I can't imagine life without you near.”


	13. On The House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble is... I don't know. Bad flirting. The prompt is "Free", and I didn't have the time to write a long fic, so I made this instead. XD I don't know how I feel about it. I hope somebody out there likes it lol.
> 
> You can shake your head at me on [Tumblr](https://lemonpopwrites.tumblr.com/). It's ok; I'm shaking my head at myself.

“He likes you,” Noctis said in a matter of fact tone when their waiter left the table.

Gladio rolled his eyes, “He touched my shoulder. That hardly means anything. He probably just wants a good tip.”

“I'm inclined to agree with Noctis,” Ignis said after swallowing a bite, “He's been rather forward with you.”

Gladio dug into his food to keep from continuing the conversation. Yeah, their waiter was cute, and, yeah, he had tipped Gladio a wink and been nothing but smiles the whole time, but waiters were supposed to be friendly. It didn't mean anything special. When he came back around to refill their drinks, he gave Gladio another brilliant smile. Oh, he was definitely cute – blond hair, freckles, and bright blue eyes – but Gladio figured someone like that was already taken. He had dealt with flirty waiters before, and this one was no different. 

“Never seen you guys in here before,” the waiter ('Prompto,' Gladio reminded himself, looking at the man's name tag) said as he poured them each glasses of water, “First time around?”

“We thought we would try out something new,” Ignis said in his smooth voice, “It seems we came to the right place.”

Prompto's eyes lit up at that, and he replied, “Well, I hope to see you again soon.” He flicked his gaze to Gladio while he spoke.

“Mm-hm,” Noctis said after Prompto left them again. “You should get his number.”

“Stop trying to hook me up with every guy we meet. I can handle myself, you know.”

They finished their food, and before the check was split, Prompto came back around with a slice pie in one hand. He slid it in front of Gladio. “Sorry, I didn't order-” Gladio started to say, but Prompto interrupted.

“On the house for you, big guy,” and he winked at Gladio again. “Hope you like cherry.”

Gladio _did_ like cherry, but more importantly, he liked this man. Before he could say anything else, though, Prompto strode off to take care of another table. Noctis snorted, but Gladio waved him off to keep him from saying anything snarky. Underneath the pie plate was a napkin, and Gladio thought he might leave Prompto a message, possibly a phone number. The blond had beaten him to it, though, because when Gladio pulled out the napkin he saw in careful handwriting, 'I'm off at 6. Meet me?' When Gladio paid his bill, he scrawled on the receipt, 'See you then.'

~

He didn't tell Noctis or Ignis about the impromptu date, just excused himself from their plans for the evening. He got skeptical looks from them both, but he blew it off. They would forgive him one little tryst. When the time came around, Gladio drove back to the diner and looked for the peppy blond. Prompto had just clocked out, it seemed, and changed his clothes in the bathroom. He approached Gladio with a beaming smile. “Good to see you again, big guy,” he said in that light voice.

“Call me Gladio,” the man replied, “How do you feel about some dinner?”

“Only if it comes with dessert,” and the blond winked again.

Gladio felt the blood rush to his dick at the implication. “What did you have in mind?”

Prompto leaned in and said in a low, tempting voice, “Well, Gladio, I don't mean to brag, but I've got the best cherry pie in town. Maybe you noticed?”

Gladio felt his mouth go dry. He definitely liked the sound of his name on the blond's lips. “I think I'll order a slice. I've got a pretty big appetite.”

“Oh, for you, I'll bake a whole pie.” The blond wrapped both his arms around Gladio's bicep, “On the house.”

They ended up skipping dinner and going straight to dessert.


End file.
